1981 Penny Value – When we are talking about old antique coins, some of you might think of old antique roman coins or older pieces of pennies. Many people thought that smaller, and most common pieces of a penny, like a cent, or Lincoln pennies might have more worth than it might seem.
Now, we are going to discuss the 1981 penny value, how it was graded, and why some of them might be worth more than a couple of dollars.
1981 Penny or also called the Lincoln penny is one of the most common coins, as we use it in a lot of commerce, changes for our groceries, coins to fill in our pockets, or coins that we found under the sofa ( foreign coins worth money ).
How can such common coins have such intrinsic value, or even increase value at all? Now, we would answer the questions of 1981 penny value and worth by beginning to inspect its specifications and composition.
First, before talking about the 1981 penny value, or 1981 d penny value, you might want to take a look at the coin specifications and composition.
These compositions also affect the 1981 penny error value and worth, as well as some rarities and oddities that the coin might have. Therefore, here are the 1981 Lincoln penny specifications and compositions.
Specifications and Composition of The 1981 Penny
To have a better understanding of the 1981 penny value, you need to first understand the specifications, designs, and composition of the 1981 Lincoln penny.
Therefore, here is a specification of this old antique coin. Some of the 1981 penny copper value is more valuable than their initial value of one cent, so you better keep an eye on these types of coins.
- Initial face value: $0.01 or 1 cent
- Composition: 95% Copper, 5% Tin and Zinc
- Coin Weight: 3.11 g or 0.109 ounces
- Coin Diameter: 19 mm or 0.75 inch
- Coin Thickness: 0.05 inches or 1.5 mm
- Shape: round
- Edge design: Plain
Even though the design, composition, and specifications of the 1981 Penny haven’t been changed, and it has very many common pennies you can find, Some of the 1981 Penny value is worth more money than they might look.
So what makes some rare 1981 pennies valuable, and how can we know if the pennies we had have some intrinsic value compared with a regular penny?
Grading and Rarities of The 1981 Penny Value
To assess and judge the value of old coins such as the 1981 penny, there is a grading system that categorizes each penny based on its value, rarities, category, and conditions.
Some of the 1981 penny worth of money belong in the higher end grade, while some other penny with lower grades might only be worth around their initial face value of $0.01.
If you want to grade your pennies, you can go to a local coin grader that can judge your pennies based on their grade, conditions, rarities, and category.
Local coin grader will also point you to how much your penny is worth, the current price standard, the 1981 d penny worth, and also the appreciated 1981 penny value.
When antique coins such as the 1981 Lincoln penny is graded, they would be given a rank based on the Sheldon scale.
It ranges from a Poor scale (P1 grade) to a perfectly mint state (MS 70). Sometimes they were also described as adjectives, such as luster reddish-brown specimens.
To determine the 1981 penny value, for example, the MS 65 grade is an uncirculated gem, it has strong luster and shine, with very good eye-appealing features, with only a little light contact present on the surface of the coins.
It is sometimes also called PR 65, or a proof quality penny that is extremely rare with flawless quality. 1981 copper penny value is sometimes also judged based on the collector’s assessment.
1981 Lincoln Penny Error List That Is Worth Your Money
If you want to get money out of the Lincoln penny, you can melt the pennies, and then extract the value of the metal used in pennies, however melting the penny is illegal and can get you into trouble in some states.
Most of the pennies made in the 1980s aren’t that valuable, compared with older pennies; however, there are also several types of errors that can increase the value of the penny.
Some types of errors such as the proof penny error, penny with no mint mark, and double die penny might increase the overall value of the 1981 penny.
For example 1981 no mint mark penny could be worth around an increase of $10 if it is within PR 65 conditions and the 1981 penny no mint mark value would increase more based on its rarity, category, and grade.
Several other errors could give more improved prices on the 1981 penny, such as the no mint mark, double die, cracked die, and many other 1981 penny errors.
Here are a few notable error pennies that you might want to keep an eye on.
- 1981 No Mint Mark – 1981 no mint mark penny value at least $5 to %10 depending on the grades and conditions. Many collectors are also sometimes hunting the no mint mark pennies, and therefore it might be best to keep some of them.
- Double Die Penny – Double die penny is a minted penny that has a double die and sees it has multiple layers and a double surface. It has been valued at at least %0.6, with an increase in value that could reach $5
- Cracked Die Penny – Some penny has cracked surface on their die, it is mostly caused by environmental exposure, and other.
For example, if the coin is graded as very fine, and with the error of no mint mark, it could be valued for around $15 to $45, depending on the collectors, and appreciation of the 1981 no mint mark penny value, it would also be depending on the graders from your local coin graders.
1981 double die penny is also one of the most common penny errors you can find, and it would be valued at around $5 to $25, for the double die penny.
However, it is still quite rare to find, and you might even want to seek out the coin collectors for more information regarding error pennies.
See Also: ” 1977 Penny Value, 1983 Penny Value, 1980 Penny Value, 1982 Penny Error List, 1976 Penny Value, 1971 Penny Value, 1965 Penny Value, 1988 Penny Value ”
If you want to try hunting 1981 d penny errors the best way to start is to reach out to many coin collectors, and the old coin antiquities community.
Hunting for error pennies might not even be worth it too much, because error pennies are incredibly rare, and the chances of finding legit error pennies are vanishingly small.
1981 is common pennies, however, so you can easily find some examples of specimens of the 1981 pennies anywhere, and anytime.
Frequently Asked Questions of the 1981 Lincoln Penny Collections
Even though the 1981 Lincoln penny is not that valuable, its value is mostly valued with its initial face value of $0.01, or one cent.
Pennies minted in the 1980s aren’t the most valuable coin, and it is considered a very common collection. It is not considered an antique coin, because it is still not as old as other antique coins such as the 1960s Indian head penny.
However, some of the pence can be worth a pretty good amount of money, and if you know the value of some grades and types, some of them can get you more money. If you want to start your collection of old coins, you should start with the 1980s Lincoln penny.
Here are frequently asked questions regarding the 1981 Lincoln penny.
What is a 1981 Penny Worth?
1981 Penny is mostly worth its initial face value of one cent ($0.01). If you decide to melt the 1981 penny, the melting price for the 1981 Penny is around $0.02 which isn’t much, since the 1980s penny has low value, and is generally not much valuable.
Some of the error pennies might be much worth it, even if it is such a common penny as the 1981 penny. Some error pennies can get you around $10 to $50; it also depends on the grade, as well as its category.
Looking for More Information About Coins? Check Other Years From This Lincoln Penny ( Coin ) Series:
1959 1960 1961 1962
1963 1964 1965 1966
1967 1968 1969 1970
1971 1972 1973 1974
1975 1976 1977 1978
1979 1980 1981 1982
1983 1984 1985 1986
1987 1988 1989 1990
1991 1992 1993 1994
1995 1996 1997 1998
1999 2000 2001 2002
2003 2004 2005 2006
2007 2008 2009
How Much is a 1981 Penny Worth?
It all depends on the grading of each 1981 penny. The grade is separated into a few grades, from the cheapest grade Poor grade (PR) to the most pristine, grade of MS. Poor grades would only just value one cent, The good grade can get you around $0.06 to $2.
However, some rare grade, especially some of the higher-end grade of MS is incredibly rare and very expensive.
The highest grade is MS 70, it is a pristine, perfectly mint condition that if auctioned off is at least could get you thousands of dollars.
One of the most expensive 1981 penny values that have been auctioned off is the MS 67 that has been auctioned off 2016 for $55.000 in 2016. It is an incredibly well-preserved piece of minted 1981 Lincoln wheat coin, and it has a cluster of gems like no other coin.
Related:
1966 Penny Value
1963 Penny Value
1985 Penny Value
1984 Penny Value