All 1980 Pennies Are Worth More Than Face Value… Up To $3,600: This post will show you how to tell a valuable 1980 penny from a few cents.
All 1980 Pennies Are Worth More Than Face Value… Up To $3,600
1980 Penny Value (No Mintmark)
Philadelphia Mint struck 7,414,705,000 1980 Lincoln Memorial pennies without mintmarks. That’s over 7.4 billion! However, these old pennies are becoming harder to find in pocket change. For what reason?
The 1980 penny with no mintmark is a common coin, but collectors and non-collectors hoard it due to its copper content. Since the 1980 Lincoln cent was struck with 95% copper, copper prices have skyrocketed.
Due to rising copper prices, the US Mint changed the Lincoln cent from bronze to copper-plated zinc in 1982. The average pre-1982 Lincoln Memorial penny contains 2–3 cents of copper.
Therefore, people save 1980 Lincoln pennies because their default copper value is much higher than their one cent face value.
However, there is a catch… Melting US pennies for copper is illegal. How do copper penny savers make money? Many coin dealers pay more for 1980 pennies based on their speculative value (if melting them becomes legal). Others want to trade them later for more if copper prices rise.
All of this means 1980 pennies without mintmarks are worth 2–3 cents. Most 1980 uncirculated pennies are worth 10–30 cents.
1980-D Penny Value
Look out for one of these! The Denver Mint’s 1980-D Lincoln cent is 95% copper, like the Philadelphia-born penny. A Denver-minted 1980-D Lincoln penny is worth more than face value due to its high copper content.
The 1980-D penny is a common coin with 5,140,098,660 mintages. However, more people are hoarding copper pennies, making it harder to find. Wish you luck finding them in your spare change!
Even worn 1980-D Lincoln pennies are worth 2–3 cents. Uncirculated coins cost 10–30 cents. The most valuable 1980-D penny sold for $546 in 2008!
1980-S Penny Value
In 1980, the US Mint issued a limited number of collector pennies in proof coin sets with mirror-like surfaces and super-sharp strikes. Proof coins are made by striking highly polished blanks twice with specially prepared dies on high-tonnage presses.
The U.S. Mint sold proof coins to collectors during production. The San Francisco U.S. Mint produced 3,554,806 proof sets in 1980. Selling modern U.S. coins, coin dealers sell 1980-S pennies and proof sets.
You can only find 1980-S pennies in circulation if they were broken out of a proof set and spent as money. The U.S. Mint did not distribute them. There are enough 1980-S pennies to satisfy collector demand, though the Philadelphia and Denver Mints produced billions.
Common 1980-S proof Lincoln cents are worth $1–3. The finest 1980-S penny sold for $3,680 at auction in 2003.
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Rare 1980 Error Pennies And Their Values
Some 1980 penny errors are rare and valuable, while others are just damaged or altered. How do you distinguish errors and varieties from post-mint damage? Finding the real 1980 penny errors is difficult, but worth it!
1980 Doubled Die Penny Error
Many people (even non-collectors) know about doubled die penny errors because some are worth hundreds or thousands of dollars. Many doubled dies are worthless. You’ll find 1980 doubled die pennies.
Most 1980 doubled die Lincoln pennies are rare and sought by specialists. The 1980 doubled die obverse (heads side) penny has a thicker date and lettering in the word “LIBERTY,” and it sells for $35 to $250, depending on condition.
1980 Repunched Penny Error
In the early 1980s, U.S. Mint coiners hand-punched the mintmarks (“D” and “S”) onto each working die. The process allowed for occasional errors.
Some 1980-D and 1980-S proof penny dies have repunched mintmarks. The coiner repunched the mintmark after the first attempt was misplaced or tilted.
The size and popularity of a repunched mintmark error determine its value. Many repunched 1980 mintmark pennies cost $3–$10.
1980 BIE Penny Error
Coins wear out. The special devices that punch coin designs onto blanks wear out and sometimes crack. Die cracks appear as raised lines, squiggles, or bumps on struck coins.
One type of die crack found on Lincoln cents appears as a straight, vertical line between the letters “B” and “E” in “LIBERTY” — almost like a capital “I.”
