1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent Value
A 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent is worth roughly $44.00 to $7,425 depending on its condition, while the raw metal inside it is valued at $0.03 as of 2026-06-01 Certified examples in top grades can run far higher.
1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $0.03 |
| Good (G-4) | $44.00 to $74.50 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $64.00 to $108 |
| Fine (F-12) | $96.00 to $162 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $160 to $270 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $272 to $459 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $448 to $756 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $720 to $1,215 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $1,360 to $2,295 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $4,400 to $7,425 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is a 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent worth right now?
A 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent that spent decades in circulation is worth about $44.00 today. One that never circulated at all can bring up to $7,425. The honest answer for most inherited or pocket-found examples sits in the lower half of the table.
1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent specifications
- Series
- Lincoln Wheat Cent
- Year
- 1931
- Mint mark
- S
- Mintage
- 866,000
- Composition
- 95% copper, 5% tin and zinc (bronze); zinc-coated steel in 1943
- Weight
- 3.11 g
- Diameter
- 19.05 mm
- Edge
- Plain
- Designer
- Victor David Brenner
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
Where to look for the mint mark
Flip your 1931 Lincoln Wheat Cent over and locate the "S". On the obverse, below the date on the right side of Lincoln's portrait That single letter separates the San Francisco issue from its siblings and can move the price substantially.
Why the 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent is worth money
With a mintage of just 866,000, the 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent is one of the celebrated key dates of the Lincoln Wheat Cent series. Survivors are scarce in every grade, and demand from series collectors keeps prices firm year after year.
Context adds the final layer to the 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent. The wheat-ear reverse ran for fifty years, spanning two world wars. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
Summary: the 1931-S Lincoln Wheat Cent is valued between $44.00 and $7,425 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.