1917 United States Cent Value

Depending on how well it survived, a 1917 United States Cent brings anywhere from its melt value to well into four figures. The figures below break the range down grade by grade.

Public domain image (struck or printed before 1926). Click to enlarge.

1917 United States Cent value by grade

1917 United States Cent value by grade
GradeEstimated value

Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.

Today's value of the 1917 United States Cent

The market for the 1917 United States Cent is driven by condition above all.

1917 United States Cent specifications

Series
United States Coinage
Year
1917
Mint mark
None (Philadelphia)
Mintage
Not recorded
Composition
Bronze

The missing mint mark, explained

Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1917 United States Cent is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time.

Why the 1917 United States Cent is worth money

Documented examples of the 1917 United States Cent in our reference database anchor what we know about this issue. Mintage records are incomplete, so collector demand and surviving population drive its market.

Context adds the final layer to the 1917 United States Cent. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. 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.

1917 United States Cent inscriptions & design

Obverse

IN GOD WE TRUST / LIBERTY / (date)

Lincoln bust r., motto top, date l.

Reverse

E PLURIBUS UNUM / ONE CENT / UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

two wheat stalks

Measured 1917 United States Cent specimens

4 physically measured 1917 United States Cent examples in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the g, mm minting standard.

Measured 1917 United States Cent specimens
SpecimenWeightDiameterDie axisReferences
1917 United States Cent #1---Breen.2080
1917 United States Cent #2---Breen.2080
1917 United States Cent #3---Breen.2083
1917 United States Cent #4---Breen.2082

Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.