While worn 1967 pennies are worth around 2 cents each, uncirculated pieces (those never used as money) are worth closer to 10 to 20 cents apiece. The most valuable 1967 penny was graded MS67RD by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and sold for $4,945 in a 2008 auction!

The three main alloys used in the manufacture of coins are nickel-brass (mainly copper, with zinc and nickel), cupronickel (mainly copper, with nickel), and bronze (mainly copper, with zinc and tin). Copper and its alloys can be easily made into coins, and also show good resistance to corrosion.

Coins are made from metals and alloys because metals and their alloys possess the property of malleability. So, they can be hammered into flat shape without breaking. Metals and alloys used for making coins should be corrosion resistance and bright in colour.

Most of our coins are metal sandwiches. The outside layers are three-quarters copper and one-quarter nickel, and the “filling” is solid copper. Pennies are made of zinc coated with copper. Only nickels are one solid material—that same 75% copper/25% nickel alloy.

It’s true — there’s a rare 1983 copper penny (specifically, a 1983-D penny) that’s worth $15,000. It’s a coin that many numismatic experts (those who study coins) still don’t fully understand — because it’s unlike any other copper penny the United States Mint has ever made.

The value of a worn 1973-D penny is pretty much the same as the 1973 Philly penny — approximately 2 cents. Unworn 1973-D Lincoln pennies (which are otherwise known as being in uncirculated grade) are generally worth 10 to 30 cents.

CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1972 S Lincoln Penny Proof value at an average of 1 cent, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $8.