2021 Penny Value, Errors and Mint Marks.

2021 Penny Overview

A 2021 penny refers to the Lincoln cent issued by the U.S. Mint in 2021. Lincoln cents are a long-running series. It started with a 1909 penny, and now, over a century later, we have a cent from 2021.

While many things changed about the coin since 1909, from the metal composition to the values, one thing always remained: the obverse design by Victor David Brenner.

Obverse (front): Features Abraham Lincoln’s profile (same since 1909). The design includes the words “IN GOD WE TRUST”, “LIBERTY”, and the year “2021”. Below the date, you’ll find a mint mark if it was struck outside Philadelphia.

The back design, however, is new, designed by artist Lyndall Bass and sculpted by the U.S. Mint sculptor-engraver Joseph Menna.

Reverse (back): Shows the Union Shield (introduced in 2010), symbolizing Lincoln’s role in preserving the United States as one union. Across the shield is a banner with “ONE CENT”, and the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” appear above.

2021 Penny Overview
Country	United States
Years of Minting	1909–present
Type:	Circulating
Shape:	Round
Composition and metal content	97.5% zinc core, 2.5% copper plating
Diameter	19.05 mm
Weight	2.5 grams
Mint Facilities	The Philadelphia US Mint, the Denver US Mint, and the San Francisco US Mint

Fun Fact: Do you know why the US Mint had to introduce a new Shield design? It is all because the 2009 penny had a set of new reverse designs to celebrate the bicentennial anniversary of Lincoln. After the anniversary ended in 2010, they had to make up a new design.

Mint Mark Varieties

Most pennies nowadays come from these three facilities and are signified by certain marks (or not):

No mint mark ← Philadelphia Mint.
D ← Denver Mint.
S ← San Francisco Mint (usually proof coins for collectors).

The only facility missing out is the West Point mint that creates many new modern pieces, but it’s mostly reserved for commemorative and other special releases like American Silver Eagles.

Both P and D pennies are circulation strikes, and S-ones are made for collectors.

2021 Penny No Mint Mark Value

How to identify: Has a blank spot on the obverse right side, under the date.
Mintage: ~3,925,820,000.
Approx. Value: Mostly face value (0.01$). In mint state $7+.

While most other Philadelphia pieces like quarters and half dollars bear “P” mint marks, most pennies still follow the tradition of just having a blank spot.

2021 D Penny Value

How to identify: Has a letter “D” on the obverse right side, under the date.
Mintage: ~3,982,800,000.
Approx. Value: Mostly face value (0.01$). In mint state $7+.

Both the Denver Mint and the Philadelphia Mint had similar production values, and both are relatively the same in value.

2021 S Penny Value

How to identify: Has a letter “S” on the obverse right side, under the date.
Mintage: ~861,607.
Approx. Value: $6+ (only as proof).

The production in San Francisco was the lowest, but with exceptional quality. All pieces made were kept as collectibles and not used for circulation.

2021 Penny Error List with Pictures

Some 2021 pennies are known to have minting errors and varieties that collectors look for. Most are rare, but they can make the coin worth much more than face value. Coins with errors are where the money is.

various 2021 penny errors with cuds and cracks on the letters (left) and close to the nose (right).

Given the recent nature of this bit, we can’t help but have discovered all the errors, but the pens reported are:

Die Cracks / Cuda

Raised lines or blobs appear on the surface of the metal where the die (a metal that is pressed against to make the design) cracked.
Commonly, cracks and cuds are found around Lincoln’s head, the date, or the shield on the reverse.
One of the more noticeable error varieties is the so-called “2021 spiked head penny”, which has cuds on Lincoln's head, creating a pike-like appearance. Not very valuable, but liked by enthusiasts.

Die Chips

Small extra metal lumps (often seen in the “shield” area on the reverse).
Usually not worth much and could be mistaken for post-mint damage. Use collecting supplies like a magnifying glass for a more accurate inspection.

Off-Center Strikes

Part of the design is missing because the coin wasn’t properly centered during striking.
Value increases depending on how far off-center it is (but must still show the date).

Double Die (DDO/DDR)

Doubling of letters, numbers, or details caused by hubbing errors.
Not as widely reported for 2021 as for older years, but collectors are actively searching for the error. Extremely precious.

Clipped Planchets

A curved “bite” is missing from the coin’s edge because the blank wasn’t cut correctly.

Struck-Through Errors

Something (grease, debris, or even a piece of metal) got between the die and planchet, leaving an impression.

2021 Penny Value

Time to see the main attraction, the value chart for the 2021 penny, across all mint marks and notable grades.

Mint Mark	Circulated	MS60	MS65	MS67	Proof PR 65
2021 No mint mark (Philadelphia)	$0.01	$0.10	$7+	$30+	–
2021-D (Denver)	$0.01	$0.10	$7+	$30+	–
2021-S (San Francisco)	–	–	–	–	$2–$10+

We can say that most of these pennies are worth facing. Value. Both 2021 no mint mark penny and D penny are relatively subpar. 2021-S pieces are generally higher in value, unless we talk about high-quality D and no mint mark pennies.

Don’t lose your hope, though. High-grade certified examples or proofs can reach $50. They are just so rare that they couldn’t make it into a general table. Perhaps, with time, the value will increase substantially.

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