Have you unexpectedly found a 1992 penny? Are you wondering how much you can sell it for? Well, the answers that you seek are in this post. Here we will deep dive into the 1992 penny value, its varieties, errors, features, and history.
1992 Penny Details
- Category: Lincoln Cents
- Quantity: 9,101,754,860
- Minting place: Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco
- Weight: 2.5 g
- Diameter: 19 mm
- Edge: Plain
- Face value: $0.01 (1 cent)
- Composition: 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper
- Observe Designer: Victor D. Brenner
- Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
The 1992 Penny’s Obverse
This penny’s obverse is dominated by the image of Abraham Lincoln’s right-facing bust. This is placed in the middle of the coin and has inscriptions around it. For one, there’s a date engraved to the right and the word “LIBERTY” on the left side.
There’s also an “IN GOD WE TRUST” legend along the coin’s top rim.
The 1992 Penny’s Reverse
The Lincoln memorial’s image dominates the 1992 penny’s reverse. This is centrally placed and has the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” written on top of it. There are also two legends along the coin’s rim.
The top one says “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” while the bottom one says “ONE CENT”. The latter is in a bigger font and is completely below the floor of the memorial.
The letters “FG” are also engraved on the right side of the memorial’s base, a little below the end of the top legend. These are the initials of the reverse’s designer, Frank Gasparro.
The 1992 Penny’s Other Features
The 1992 penny is made of copper-plated zinc. This makes it have a composition of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper and gives it a weight of 2.5 grams. Beyond that, this penny is round with a diameter of 19mm and a thickness of 1.5 mm. It also has a plain smooth edge.
Some of these coins also have mint marks, particularly those made in Denver and San Francisco. Either way, the mint mark is usually located on the coin’s obverse, just under the date inscription.
Also Read: Top 20 Most Valuable Old Pennies Worth Money (Penny Collection)
Value Chart
| 1992 Penny Value Chart | |||
| Grade | 1992 No Mint Mark Penny (P) | 1992 “D” Penny | 1992 “S” Proof Penny |
| XF45 | $0.01 | $0.01 | N/A |
| MS63 | $6 | $6 | N/A |
| MS67 | $24 | $28 | N/A |
| MS69 | $1,750 | $4,000 | N/A |
| PR67 | N/A | N/A | $6 |
| PR70 | N/A | N/A | $42 |
1992 Penny Value and Varieties Guide
1992 No Mint Mark Penny Value (P)
- Type: Lincoln Cents
- Mintage: 4,648,905,000
- Mint Mark: None
- Minting place: Philadelphia
- Year: 1992
- Edge: Plain
- Obverse Designer: Victor D. Brenner
- Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
- Face value: $0.01
- Current value: $0.01 to $1,750
- %Composition: 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper
- Mass: 2.5 g
- Diameter: 19 mm
In 1992, the Philadelphia mint produced 4,648,905,000 pennies. All of these were regular strikes and had no mint mark. Since they have a high mintage, they are still readily available today at low prices. They are available in red, brown, and red-brown colors.
A low-grade sample will often sell for its face value; only one cent. But mint-state examples are more valuable. An MS67 can sell for around $24 while an MS69 can go for as much as $1,750.
1992 “D” Penny Value
- Type: Lincoln Cents
- Mintage: 4,448,673,300
- Mint Mark: “D”
- Minting place: Denver
- Year: 1992
- Edge: Plain
- Obverse Designer: Victor D. Brenner
- Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
- Face value: $0.01
- Current value: $1 to $4,000
- %Composition: 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper
- Mass: 2.5 g
- Diameter: 19 mm
The Denver mint produced 4,448,673,300 pennies in 1992. These were all regular-strike coins and had a “D” mint mark. Because so many of these coins were minted, they are still readily available today at affordable prices.
Some of them are red while others are brown or red-brown. A circulated 1992 D penny can sell for a mere 1 cent. On the other hand, a mint-state sample can go for as high as $4,000.
1992 “S” Penny Value
- Type: Lincoln Cents
- Mintage: 4,176,560
- Mint Mark: “S”
- Minting place: San Francisco
- Year: 1992
- Edge: Plain
- Obverse Designer: Victor D. Brenner
- Reverse Designer: Frank Gasparro
- Face value: $0.01
- Current value: $0.01 to $42
- %Composition: 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper
- Mass: 2.5 g
- Diameter: 19 mm
In 1992, the San Francisco mint produced 4,176,560 pennies. All of these were proof coins and each has an “S” mint mark. For proof coins, this was a high mintage, even though it’s significantly lower than the mintages for Philadelphia and Denver that year.
As such, 1992 S pennies are still readily available today in deep cameo condition. This makes them affordable; a PR67 one can sell for as low as $6 while a PR70 usually goes for around $42.
1992 Penny History
The Lincoln cent was launched in 1909. Before it was the Indian head cent that was first minted in 1859. As its name suggests, this coin featured an image of an Indian head, unlike the Lincoln cent which has Lincoln’s image.
The Lincoln cent was designed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and it was the first widely circulated coin with the image of a former US president.
Originally, the mint had approached a sculptor called Augustus Saint Gaudens to design the coin and four other coins. While he did manage to propose two designs for the cent, he died in 1907 before he completed the project.
Eventually, these two proposed designs were adapted to make some gold coins and the mint decided to choose a different designer for the cent. The new designer was the engraver Victor D. Brenner and he designed both sides of the coin.
It is said that he was chosen because Theodore Roosevelt liked a plaque that he had designed in 1907. When creating the obverse design, Brenner said that he imagined Lincoln reading to a child.
This made many believe that he drew inspiration from a popular photo of Lincoln and his son. In his original design, Lincoln’s bust was bigger and the legend “IN GOD WE TRUST” was absent.
Charles Barber later made modifications to this design to create what was minted in 1909. When it comes to the reverse design, Brenner had originally borrowed from the French silver coins of the time, creating one with a tree branch.
However, the mint director, Frank Leach, rejected this design and Brenner eventually came up with a design that featured two wheat stalks. This was used from 1909 to 1958, earning the pennies produced in that time frame the name wheat pennies.
In 1959, this reverse design was replaced with one that has an image of the Lincoln memorial. This was done to commemorate 150 years after Lincoln’s birth and the new design was made by Frank Gasparro.
His design remained on the Lincoln cent until 2008. 2009 saw the bicentennial reverse designs; these were four designs based on Lincoln’s life. In 2010, the shield reverse design that’s used to date replaced the 2009 ones.
Keep in mind that the Lincoln cents minted right now are made of 97.5% zinc and 2.5% copper. This composition was introduced in 1982 to replace the original 95% copper and 5% zinc.
This composition was consistently used since the launch of Lincoln cents; 1943 was the only year before 1982 that it wasn’t used.
1992 Penny Grading
Grading 1992 pennies and other Lincoln cents is usually done by professional agencies like NGC and PCGS at a fee. However, this is not a prerequisite for selling your coins. After all, grading a coin can end up costing you more than its value.
List of 1992 Penny Errors
1. 1992 Penny Double Denomination
A double denomination error occurs when one denomination of a coin is struck on a coin that is already of another denomination. For instance, when a penny is struck on a dime; this will create a coin that has both penny and dime features.
This error usually makes the resulting coin more valuable. For instance, a red PCGS MS64 1992 penny that’s struck on a dime can sell for over $2,600.
2. 1992 Penny Close AM
Usually, the space between the letters A and M in the AMERICA inscription of the 1992 penny is substantial. However, some rare 1992 pennies have an A and M that are almost touching.
These are called Close AM pennies and are more valuable than the rest. They can come from either the Denver or Philadelphia mint. Also, the FG initials on their reverse sides are usually further away from the memorial’s base.
A PCGS AU58 1992 D penny with a Close AM can cost over $5,600. On the other hand, a red PCGS MS67 1992 penny with a Close AM can sell for almost $26,000. A similar red-brown MS64 sample sells for a little over $22,000.
Interestingly, even when the penny with this error has some surface damage, it’s still more valuable than an ordinary one. A PCGS 1992 penny with a Close AM graded simply as “Genuine” sells for over $500.
3. 1992 Penny Broad Struck
A broad strike error is a result of striking a coin without it being in the collar. This creates a coin that’s wider than necessary; this can add some value to a coin. For instance, an ICG MS64 1992 penny that has been broad-struck sells for around $23.
4. 1992 Penny Double Struck with Second Strike Off-center
This is an error where a coin is struck twice and the second strike isn’t centered. This leaves duplicate design elements that are visible because they don’t overlap with the originals.
Usually, the more off-center the second strike is, the clearer the duplication and the higher the value of the coin. It’s therefore not surprising that a 1992 penny that has been double struck with a 75% off-center second strike can sell for over $50.
A sample with a 50% off-center second strike can sell for over $40.
5. 1992 Penny Obverse Die Cap
A die cap error occurs when a struck coin gets stuck on a die and continues to spread out until it looks like a bottle cap. An obverse die cap occurs when the coin gets stuck on the obverse die, which is in many cases the hammer die.
This leaves the coin with an obverse image on the inside of the cap. A red PCGS MS64 1992 penny with an obverse die cap can sell for over $250.
1992 Penny FAQ
Which 1992 penny is worth money?
While most 1992 pennies are cheap, ones with errors are valuable. The pennies with the Close AM error are the most valuable, with some of them fetching over $26,000 per piece.
How can you tell if a 1992 penny is rare?
The best way to do this is to look for valuable errors like the Close AM one. To check for this specific error, look at the distance between the letter A and M in the “AMERICA” inscription on the reverse.
How do I know if a penny is valuable?
To tell whether a penny is valuable, look at its date, mint mark, and type (regular/proof strike). This information will help you find out how many such coins were minted and how available they are right now.
It will also give you a ballpark figure of the penny’s price. Once you have this, you can then check the coin for any errors that would make it more valuable than similar ones. If you think you have something special, you can then send it off to a grading agency.
Remember, the higher your coin’s grade the more valuable it is.