WHEAT PENNY

SORT LIST 1909–1958

KEY DATES • VARIETIES • ERRORS • SORTING GUIDE

SORTING LEGEND

P1Pull Immediately (High Value)

P2Check Carefully (Better Dates/Varieties)

P3Common Date (Lower Priority)

KDKey Date

SKDSemi-Key Date

VARVariety

ERRError

GEMHigh Grade Candidate

ESSENTIAL TOOLS

Microscope
or 10x loop

Magnet

Good
Lighting

Reference
Guide

1 KEY DATES (HIGHEST PRIORITY)

Date	Mint	Priority	Notes
1909-S VDB	S	P1	KD Major Key Date
1909-S	S	P1	KD Key Date
1909 VDB	—	P2	First-Year Issue
1910-S	S	P2	Better Date
1911-S	S	P2	Lower Mintage
1912-S	S	P2	SKD Semi-Key
1913-S	S	P2	SKD Semi-Key
1914-D	D	P1	KD Major Key Date
1914-S	S	P2	Better Date
1915-S	S	P2	Better Date

2 IMPORTANT TEENS & 1920s DATES

Date	Mint	Priority	Notes
1922 No D	D	P1	Famous Variety
1922-D Weak D	D	P2	Check Closely
1924-D	D	P1	KD Key Date
1926-S	S	P1	SKD Semi-Key
1928-S	S	P2	Better Date
1929-S	S	P2	Better Date
1913-S	S	P1	KD Key Date

VARIETY CHECK: 1922 NO D

Look for:

Missing mintmark
Strong reverse details
Weak obverse strike

Many worn 1922 cents mimic this variety.

3 1930s–1940s SORTING PRIORITIES

Date	Mint	Priority	Notes
1931-S	S	P1	KD Key Date
1933	—	P2	Better Date
1935 DDR	—	P2	VAR Doubled Die Reverse
1941 DDR	—	P2	VAR Doubled Die Reverse
1943 Copper	Any	P1	ERR Major Rarity
1944 Steel	Any	P1	ERR Major Rarity
1944-D/S	D	P2	VAR RPM Variety

1943 + 1944 Penny Rarities

Normal:

Steel

& Magnetic

Ultra Rare:

1943 Copper

& 1944 Steel

4 MAJOR VARIETIES & ERRORS

Date	Mint	Priority	What To Check
1936 DDO	—	P1	Doubled Date (Obverse)
1941 DDO	—	P2	Doubling on Date & Letters
1943 Copper	Any	P1	Non-Magnetic
1944 Steel	Any	P1	Magnetic
1955 DDO	—	P1	Strong Doubling
1958 DDO	—	P1	Extremely Rare
Any Year	Any	P2	Repunched Mintmarks (RPM)
Any Year	Any	P2	Die Cracks
Any Year	Any	P2	Off-Center Strikes

5 COMMON DATE SORTING CHECKLIST

PULL ALL EARLY DATES
1909–1919

PULL ALL
SAN FRANCISCO COINS
(S MINT MARK)

S

PULL MOST
DENVER COINS
1909–1930

D

PULL HIGH GRADE EXAMPLES

Look for:

• Full wheat lines

• Red color

• No wear

• Sharp Lincoln portrait

Mark as:

GEM CANDIDATE

1942

WORN
WORN (PASS) RED
SHARP (PULL)

6 RAPID SORT METHOD

PASS 1

SEPARATE BY DECADE

1909–1919

1920–1929

1930–1939

1940–1949

1950–1958

PASS 2

PULL ALL

S mint marks

D mint marks before 1935

Unusual color

Sharp strikes

PASS 3

CHECK FOR KEY FINDS

1909-S VDB

1914-D

1922 No D

1924-D

1926-S

1931-S

1943 Copper

1944 Steel

1955 DDO

1958 DDO

PLAIN ENGLISH DEFINITIONS

KEY DATE

Low mintage and high collector demand.

SEMI-KEY DATE

More available than a key date but still scarce.

DDO

Doubled Die Obverse. Design impressed twice at slightly different angles.

DDR

Doubled Die Reverse. Doubling appears on the reverse side.

RPM

Repunched Mintmark. The mintmark was punched more than once.

OFF-CENTER STRIKE

The coin was struck outside the center of the planchet.

DIE CRACK

A raised line caused by a crack in the coin die.

CHERRY PICKING

Finding valuable varieties overlooked by others.