Old Pennies

[bryH]

Hi everyone, was searching around the web researching pennies and found this site, have a few old pennies I got from my grand father about 20 years ago, just

wondering if they are worth anything, they were sitting in glass jars in my closet

they range from 1917 to 1977 some look good some don't most probably just need to be cleaned most of them are 40's 50's 60s' and 70's with just a few teen's and a few 20's and 30's will try to upload some pictures soon. pennies

[MarkFeld]

Welcome to the forum.

 

In the vast majority of cases, cents dated 1959 and newer are only worth face value. Many, if not most of those dated 1958 and older - "wheat cents" - are worth about 3c each. Older wheat cents (1920's and older) tend to be worth a bit more. And there are certain tougher dates and varieties which are worth still, more.

 

There are a number of on-line price guides which provide ballpark values for different dates and conditions. And while the prices might not necessarily be accurate, they should give you a good relative value for the various dates/conditions.

[BillJones]

some look good some don't most probably just need to be cleaned

 

PLEASE don't clean anything!!!

 

Whatever value they might have will be destroyed if you clean those coins. This is especially true of coins that are made of copper or bronze like those old pennies you grandfather had.

[johnny9434]

some look good some don't most probably just need to be cleaned

 

PLEASE don't clean anything!!!

 

Whatever value they might have will be destroyed if you clean those coins. This is especially true of coins that are made of copper or bronze like those old pennies you grandfather had.

ageed with

[bryH]

Thanks' for the info. yes I know about not to clean them and I've read about the various values and grading and even about various mint error pennies, it's just that I want to sell them to someone who really enjoys collecting them and not to some small coin dealer, I my self enjoy collecting old stuff too I have over 2000 sports cards also a old Datsun z car and old boats and live in a 1929 brick house

and many other things, and that is enough for me, I enjoy the antiques you can use and work on, I do enjoy looking at them but prefer letting some who really enjoys them a lot more than I do have them, so any info. on what to do with them is appreciated .

[thebeav]

I've always made up little baggies of stuff like that to give to kids. It just may start a lifelong interest. I even give out little bags of stuff like that for Halloween.

 

Paul

[bryH]

With the way most kids are today they would probably end up in a coinstar machine, they really don't appreciate old things anymore.

[porcupine48]

they took our Canadian penny away...

[BillJones]

With the way most kids are today they would probably end up in a coinstar machine, they really don't appreciate old things anymore.

 

Tell me about it. I offered to show my train set around the Christmas tree and in my back room to a kid's mother across. the street. She told me he won't be interested if it wasn't on a computer screen.