Wheat Pennies 1909-1958

[happyfilmluvguy]

Before the Lincoln Memorial was inserted into the back of the penny, they simply read, "ONE CENT"

I have three, the years 1934, 1946, and 1950.

During the second world war, copper was substituted with steel, known as Silver Pennies.

What years do you have?

 

[Elaina]

In high school I worked as a cashier for Kroger's. A lady came in one day and wanted to pay for her groceries in rolled pennies. Because the policy was I had to open and look at all the pennies, I did 3 rolls. They were young years and I asked "Hey are they all like this?" She replied she'd dug into her father's coin collection and they were various years and she was on her way to the bank to deposit about 50 bucks in pennies and dimes. I offered to buy them, without looking. I wound up within those roll all but like 10 years. If memory serves, all but like 5 rolls were wheat pennies, and they were rolled so that the years were together, and pretty well ran in order of the box. Her dad seemed to roll them, put them in this box starting at the beginning. I also got 3 rolls of liberty dimes. I have them sitting in a jar somewhere with some rubels I got as a tip before the USSR became just Russia, and some money I found in my great grandmother's purse back when she was a flapper (it's not much. It's a 1922 quarter, couple nickels and 3 one dollar bills. Allegedly she won it playing poker, because there is also an I.O.U. for $27 in it, but knowing her, who knows what that was for.)

If you really need some, I'm sure I can hunt them down and share. Lord knows I have enough. I have a small jar in my desk of mostly '46 and 58's, then I have a ton shoved in my armoire of goodness knows what year with all my state quarters, half dollars, dollars and $2 bills (although those came from when I was working as a waitress), about 270,000 in yen (compliments of my Japanese businessmen who spoke not a lick of English, but were very nice and presented that to me with some washi paper and an origami book that I can't read for my other hobby I never talk about), about 27 in Canadian money (from a truck driver that gave me my choice of what was in his wallet or 50 cents. I said "I'll take the wallet"), about 50 in Greek money (which is a funny story how I GOT that in the first place) and 1500 in some Arabian money (Saudi Arabia, another customer who left me what he had on him at the time. That turned into a large tip, in American and his native country money. Waitressing: You got to love it. They were really good tips, I just never changed them to American currency.) I have some other country's money in there too, but darned if I can remember what all it is. And I have a letter of intent from a gentleman from some Slavic nation stating that he wanted to trade me for 3 cows, 6 chickens, and an acre of land, as well as my dowry getting paid by the equivalent of the town's mayor. And if it wasn't enough to have my father and his representative call his rep and they could work out a pig and try to get a horse, although the horse may be paid after the first child was born. (now you see why I quit talking to people.) And when I have to go to the post office, whatever I get as change gets shoved in there too. (I have more coins then jewelry in it.) All my steel pennies are somewhere else, in another jar, although that jar I've no idea where it is at this exact moment.

Wheat pennies...I'll go back on topic. Yes I have them. I think I'm missing 3 or 4 years of having at least one.

 

[LizzieMaine]

I still have the Whitman penny folder I had as a little girl, with a pretty substantial collection of wheaties from 1909 to 1940. They were still common in circulation then, and I always made a point of holding onto them. I also used to save Canadian pennies from the reign of George VI, which still turn up in circulation on this side of the border every now and then.

It's amazing what turns up in change if you keep your eyes open. Last year I found a Buffalo nickel with a worn-off date, a couple of silver Roosevelt dimes, and, oddest of all, a 1966 British shilling which someone had passed off as a quarter. I still make a habit of checking everything I get in change -- and I still hold onto the wheaties whenever they show up!

 

[max the cat]

wheat

I have always saved wheat pennies ,dating from my days as paperboy-saved in an old toy safe-a childhood relic.I remember getting 2 1950's 2 $ bill (payable silver) in change-my dad promptly took them and saved them amid his 50s US and foreign currency-of less interest I saved the 1967 Canadian expo and Us 1976 quarters which I just gave or traded at face to a pal who is a serious coin collector- worthwhile watching what you get in change.!

 

[Quigley Brown]

I still get them in change once in while and save them. I always look at nickels, too. The design hasn't changed (much) since 1938 and I'm probably one of the few who even takes the time to glance at the date.

 

[Maj.Nick Danger]

I still get them in change once in while and save them. I always look at nickels, too. The design hasn't changed (much) since 1938 and I'm probably one of the few who even takes the time to glance at the date.

Along with me. I always look at nickles too because the metal used looks the same as the metal used in 1939 when the Jefferson nickle first appeared. Occasionally I find a silver nickle from WW2 when they changed the composition of the nickle because there is a high percentage of copper in a U.S. nickle, copper being needed for the war effort then. Sometimes even a silver quarter or dime will turn up too.
As to wheat pennies, I've got most all of them except for the very rare 1909-S VDB.

 

[John in Covina]

During the second world war, copper was substituted with steel, known as Silver Pennies.

I have heard the steel pennies refered to as white cents and as steelies also.
THere were some years that pennies were made from the brass of the used shells, too if I remember right.

During the war nickel was too important for use as 5 cent coins so , they used silver for a year or two.

I have some Wheat Cents tucked away, too.

 

[The Wolf]

I still have my Whitman folder from my childhood as well.
It is still missing a 1941-D, 1943 steel, 1948-S, 1949-D, 1951, 1954, 1955-S and 1960. Interestingly, I rarely look at pennies from 1950s onward so I might be passing up the ones I need.:eusa_doh:

Sincerely,
THE
____WOLF