Three mint stations produced 1945 Lincoln pennies. You can notice some coins without any mintmark, implying that they come from the Philadelphia mint. Coins with the D mint mark below the production year come from the Denver mint, while those with the S mint mark come from the San Francisco mint.
The primary composition element was copper, which was present in 95% of the total coin weight. The other 5% goes to zinc. Those coins are 0.1 troy ounces (3.11 g) heavy. Let’s see what the 1945 Lincoln penny value is.
1945 Lincoln Penny
Almost every Lincoln penny from all ages has the same look. All of them have their bronze appearance due to their composition. In this particular case, copper is responsible for the color. On the coin front side, there is a bust of Abraham Lincoln, and he faces right.
Above his head, there is an inscription saying IN GOD WE TRUST, like in all Lincoln pennies. On the left side is the inscription LIBERTY that lays on the same level as Lincoln’s shoulder.
1945 Lincoln Penny Value |
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| Location | Year | Minted | Value |
| Philadelphia | 1945 | 1,040,515,000 | From 15 cents to $3 |
| San Francisco | 1945 S | 181,770,000 | From 15 cents to $6 |
| Denver | 1945 D | 266,268,000 | From 15 cents to $3 |
| Total | 1945 | 1,488,553,000 | / |
In front of Abraham Lincoln, you can always see the production year. Under that engraved year, you can sometimes see a mint mark that some mints engraved. Every coin that comes from the mint other than Philadelphia has the appropriate mint mark.
On the penny’s reverse, you can see a big lettering ONE CENT that takes a central place on its surface. Below that big lettering, there is another one that says the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Two wheat ears surround those words.
Above all that, you can notice another lettering that says E PLURIBUS UNUM that follows the coin edge curve.
1945 Lincoln Penny Grading
Collectors inspect every coin individually and always check many different aspects and look for details. Experienced collectors and dealers can see even the most minor imperfections and scratches on the coin surface and color shadings variations that can affect the penny value.
Uncirculated 1945 Lincoln penny
Uncirculated condition for 1945 Lincoln penny means that it can’t have any possible signs of wear. Such a coin needs to contain as necessary details on the surface it had when leaving the mint.
You can usually see luster over this penny surface, but it is not always required. In fact, you can expect some coin color shading due to air contact over time. That luster can only boost up the final price of your penny.
1945 Lincoln Penny Value by USA Coin book |
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| Quality | 1945 | 1945 S | 1945 D |
| Good | / | / | / |
| Very good | / | / | / |
| Fine | $0.05 | $0.11 | $0.05 |
| Very fine | $0.11 | $0.16 | $0.11 |
| Extra fine | $0.22 | $0.22 | $0.22 |
| About uncirculated | $0.38 | $0.38 | $0.38 |
| Mint state 60 | $0.94 | $0.94 | $0.94 |
| Mint state 65 | $2.22 | $2.22 | $2.22 |
| Proof 63 | / | / | / |
Signs of wear will usually determine the coin condition, and you won’t notice any of them on the penny in an uncirculated condition. Keep in mind that every line on the coin surface needs to be sharp. The best example is Lincoln’s chin that sits under his beard.
It is crucial to see beard details on the coin. Any line defects or blending with the rest of the surface can be a sign of wear. The only flaw allowed on uncirculated coins is color shading close to the edge.
Extra fine 1945 Lincoln penny
In this case, you can notice signs of wear on the highest points of the coin. Some lines appear to be less sharp or started to vanish at some points. The slight blending of the near elements is usual for these coins.
1945 Lincoln Penny Value by JM Bullion |
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| Coin | Extra fine quality | Uncirculated quality |
| 1945 Lincoln Penny | $0.20 | $0.35 |
| 1945 S Lincoln Penny | $0.20 | $0.35 |
| 1945 D Lincoln Penny | $0.20 | $0.35 |
You can use Lincoln’s chin as a parameter again. As it is under the beard, there can appear some blending of those two surfaces. The line that follows the edge of his beard is not that sharp yet slightly rounded in this case.
You can notice the original design and texture of the surface only at the lowest points on your coin. Other parts won’t have that sharp touch. Color shading of the penny surface stands to tell more about its condition, and you will spot the darkest coin points near the edges.
Fine 1945 Lincoln penny
The lowest points of the coin in this condition have started to blend with the surrounding surface. The highest points are very bold, and many details and lines are not sharp anymore. Sometimes, it is even impossible to determine the real difference in the height of some points.
1945 Lincoln Penny Value by CoinStudy, 9/13/2021 |
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| Coin | Quality | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1945 Lincoln penny | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.04 | $1.30 |
| 1945 S Lincoln penny | $0.03 | $0.03 | $0.05 | $1.02 |
| 1945 D Lincoln penny | $0.02 | $0.02 | $0.04 | $1.00 |
Experts always use Lincoln’s chin as a parameter in this case. His beard and chin are now together. You can’t find and follow the line that follows his beard because it vanished with the neckline. Plus, it is impossible to notice details on his face anymore.
Color shadings are very present in this condition, and the edge of such a coin is always darker. Finally, coins in this grade typically have numerous scratches over the surface.
About circulated 1945 Lincoln penny
Signs of wear and differences in colors are typical for coins of this grade. Their usage over time removes the luster and sharpness of the details. Don’t bother about shading since it is standard in any condition and is not affected by the degree of wear.
1945 Lincoln penny value by COIN HelpU |
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| Quality | 1945 Lincoln penny | 1945 S Lincoln penny | 1945 D Lincoln penny |
| Very fine | $0.05 | $0.05 | $0.05 |
| Extra fine | $0.2 | $0.2 | $0.2 |
| About circulated | $0.35 | $0.35 | $0.3 |
| MS 63 | $0.85 | $0.85 | $0.85 |
| MS 65 | $4 | $7 | $19 |
| MS 66 | $44 | $35 | $34 |
| MS 67 | $207 | $90 | $138 |
The color shading layer will dim the presence of details and sharp lines, but they will still be present under the first color layer. You can notice those details if you look through the magnifying glass. Always look from different angles at the high light level to inspect all coin characteristics.
1945 Lincoln Penny Types
You should know that 1945 Lincoln penny mintage was the 4th biggest mintage in the whole production history. Three mints produced Lincoln pennies this year, and each of them has a proper mint mark except those minted in Philadelphia.
1945 Lincoln Penny with no mint mark
In 1945, Philadelphia set the second-highest mintage rate of all time and produced more than 1 billion coins in total. Because of the high mintage number, those coins are easy to collect, and their price is not that high. On the other hand, that is the reason why they are not popular on a rarity scale.
Many of these pennies are still present in a mint state nowadays, so most collectors won’t even consider those in a lower condition. Therefore, you need to have more than a classic 1945 Lincoln penny to make some money.
The best option is to find a coin different from others, whether it is an error piece or a coin with some specific detail on the surface.
1945 S Lincoln penny
The San Francisco mint usually produces fewer coins than others in charge of minting particular pennies each year. That usually makes these coins more valuable for collectors.
The same case is with 1945 Lincoln pennies produced in the San Francisco mint, so they usually hold a slight premium over the other two options. Plus, every variation is desirable for numismatists, even though most dealers won’t find all of them attractive.
You should scrutinize the coin you have and look for some bold lines over Lincoln’s shirt and coat. Only that way is it possible to determine its value precisely.
1945 D Lincoln penny
These particular coins minted in Denver in 1945 are the most significant for the whole Lincoln penny series and are very present on a rarity scale. Collectors make a considerable impact on those coin’s value because they improve their collectibility. Surprisingly, most of them prefer those in extremely fine condition.
The 1945 D Lincoln penny with slight or no wear signs is a beautiful addition to every collection. Your coin can have an even higher value if it doesn’t have any darker and lighter points on the surface.
Slight color differences can appear due to improper storage. In fact, your penny will be more valuable when it has visible color shades over the surface.
Summary
1945 Lincoln penny is as popular as other pennies. This production year has its unique background story and history that make this coin valuable nowadays. Both a perfect coin condition and some specific imperfection valuable to collectors will increase its price.
