1945 Wheat Penny Value, Errors & Mint Mark Guide

The table is an issue comparison, not a universal price list. Use the exact mint, grade, color and certification in the PCGS Price Guide, then use NGC or completed sales as a second reference.

A single 1945 value would be misleading because Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco issues trade in separate grade populations. Use the linked PCGS Price Guide for the exact issue and color, then compare NGC or completed sales. No neighboring grade is used as a substitute.

BN means Brown, RB means Red-Brown and RD means Red. The designation describes how much original copper color remains, while the numerical grade describes wear and preservation. PCGS catalogs 1945 Philadelphia cents in BN, RB and RD, and the same color framework applies to Denver and San Francisco issues. An MS65 RD can command more demand than an MS65 BN, but a bright surface is not automatically original Red.

The total is original production, not a surviving population. The lower San Francisco mintage provides context, but survival, grade and color determine the market for an individual coin.

A certified FS-101 can trade differently from a regular 1945 cent because the attribution is a separate collectible. PCGS lists BN, RB and RD records for the variety. One reported MS64 BN Heritage result realized $1,410 on August 2, 2017; verify the individual auction lot and certification before repeating that figure. It is an example of one coin, not a typical value.

A genuine doubled die is created in the die-making process and repeats across coins struck by that die. Machine doubling is a flat, shelf-like strike effect that can make a letter or digit look doubled without creating a cataloged variety. Compare the shape, direction and location of the separation with an authoritative FS-101 reference. Do not label every doubled-looking 1945 date as a DDO.

Possible mint-created clues include DDO FS-101, off-center strikes, clips and die cracks. Scratches, dents, corrosion, cleaning, polishing and chemical discoloration happen after striking. Compare the complete coin, edge and relief with recognized references before assigning a rare attribution.

“Wheat back” is an informal name for the Lincoln Wheat Cent reverse with two wheat ears. Confirm the date, mint mark, bronze weight and nonmagnetic response together.

In 1945 the Mint continued striking the familiar copper-based Lincoln Wheat Cent while wartime production was winding down. The regular cent used the bronze alloy, with copper making up 95 percent and tin and zinc the balance. Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco together struck more than 1.48 billion pieces. That large output explains why circulated 1945 cents are usually easy to find, while original-red coins in the highest grades are a much smaller surviving group. The date sits at the transition from wartime scarcity back to ordinary peacetime production, but the coin itself remains a normal bronze issue rather than a steel cent.

Auction records represent individual high-grade or exceptional coins. They are not typical values for circulated 1945 Wheat Pennies. Verify each result against the individual auction lot before citing it.