1990 Penny Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

Let’s travel back to 1990 and discover the tiny cents minted this year. Here you can find a detailed chart of the values for different types of 1990 pennies, including those with proof of mint mark variations from San Francisco, including its design, composition, and most importantly, its value. Additionally, we’ll discuss how certain errors can impact the penny’s worth.

Get ready to discover the hidden treasure among your pocket change!

1990 Penny Value Chart

1990 Lincoln Memorial Penny Value
Mint Mark	MS64	MS65	MS66	MS67	MS68
1990 No Mint Mark Penny Value	$0.50	$0.60	$1.10	$20.25	$195
1990 D Penny Value	$0.50	$0.60	$1.50	$12.15	$81
	PR65	PR66	PR67	PR68	PR69
1990 S Proof Penny Value	$1.50	$2.15	$2.65	$4.05	$5.40
1990 No S Proof Penny Value	$2,500	$2,750	$3,250	$4,250	$5,620

1990 No Mint Mark Penny Value

The 1990 penny, also known as the 1c coin, has a beautiful design created by two talented artists, Victor Brenner, and Frank Gasparro. This coin was minted in Philadelphia and has a total mintage of 6,851,765,000 coins.

The obverse of the penny features a portrait of the great President Abraham Lincoln, designed by Victor Brenner. The reverse design, created by Frank Gasparro, features the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.—a spectacular tribute to one of the most iconic figures in American history.

This 1990 penny is composed of 99.2% zinc and 0.8% copper, giving it a beautiful silver color. It has a diameter of 19mm, weighs 2.5 grams, and has a round shape. It was struck in a business strike type, meaning it was intended for circulation rather than collectors.

On the obverse, you will find the lettering “IN GOD WE TRUST,” “LIBERTY,” and the year “1990”. These words testify to the enduring American values of freedom and faith. On the reverse, you will see the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” “ONE CENT,” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .” ” E PLURIBUS UNUM” means “out of many, one,” which speaks to the unity of the United States despite its diversity.

A 1990 penny value, graded as MS68, a nearly perfect coin with very few imperfections, can be worth up to $195.00 in retail value or $150.00 in wholesale value. A penny graded as MS67 with only minor blemishes is worth around $20.25 in retail and $15.00 in wholesale. Coins graded as MS66 through MS60 decrease in value, with an MS66 penny worth $1.10 retail and $0.75 wholesale, while an MS60 penny is worth only $0.25 in retail and $0.10 in wholesale. So, if you are lucky enough to come across a 1990 penny in MS68 condition, you could be in for a treat!

In 2018, Heritage Auctions sold a 1990 penny in MS69 Red condition, fetching a whopping $7,200. That’s a high price for a 1990 penny value, I reckon!

But in the years since then, the 1990 penny value has dropped. In 2019, another 1990 penny in MS68 Red condition sold for just $204. And in 2020, a similar penny sold for only $99. Seems like the penny market might be cooling off, huh? But who knows, maybe someday another rare penny will resurface and fetch a high price.

1990 D Penny Value

As part of the same coin series, the 1990 penny from Denver shares the same composition and size as its Philadelphia counterpart. The only distinguishing factor is the D mint mark located beneath the year ‘1990’. In total, the Denver Mint minted 4,922,894,533 of these pennies in that year.

According to the Greysheet website, a 1990 penny value that has been graded MS68 is worth $81.00 at retail and $60.00 at wholesale. However, for pennies with lower grades, the value is considerably lower. For example, a penny-graded MS60 has a retail value of only $0.25 and a wholesale value of $0.10.

One piece of a 1990 D penny (MS69 RD) was worth thousands due to its exceptional condition and rarity. It was sold at the Legend Rare Coin Auctions in 2019 for a price of $2,938, making it one of the most valuable 1990 D pennies ever sold at auction. While it’s true that this 1990 penny value pales compared to the value of a 1990 penny with no mint mark that sold in the same year, over $2,000 is still quite steep for a single cent.

The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) graded the coin as MS69, which is the second-highest grade possible for a coin. This means that the penny is almost perfect in terms of its condition and has very few imperfections or blemishes.

The “D” on the penny stands for Denver, where the coin was minted. The “RD” designation means that the penny has a red color, which is highly desired by collectors.

1990 S Proof Penny Value

In 1990, the San Francisco Mint produced over 3,296,504 proof coins for circulation, which were struck with high precision and attention to detail, giving them a polished and reflective surface. The 1990 S Proof Penny has a sharp and well-defined image of Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President of the United States, on the obverse side of the coin. Jim Gullen of New York was the person who first discovered the 1990 No S Lincoln cents on July 18, 1990.

The 1990 S Proof Penny is not particularly valuable when compared to other coin varieties minted in the same year, but it still holds more worth than its face value. For example, a 1990 penny value from San Francisco with a grade of PR69 is only worth $5.40 if sold to a dealer or $4.00 if sold in an auction. On the other hand, a penny with a grade of PR60 to PR64 is worth only $0.33 to $0.40 if sold to a dealer or $0.18 to $0.25 if sold in an auction.

The highest 1990 S Proof penny sold in auctions was a PR70 Deep Cameo, sold by Heritage Auctions in 2015 for $147. In comparison, the recent highest sale in 2021 of the same grade by David Lawrence Rare Coins was worth $66.

The price difference between the two auctions is quite significant, with the 1990 S Proof penny selling for almost double the amount in 2015 compared to the 2021 auction. It’s important to note that some factors can impact the 1990 penny value, including its rarity and grading quality. It’s possible that the decrease in value of the 1990 S Proof penny between these two auctions could be attributed to market fluctuations or changes in demand.

1990 No S Proof Penny Value

All proof 1990 pennies are typically marked with an “S” mintmark to indicate that they were minted at the San Francisco Mint. However, in a rare error, some of these 1990 Lincoln Memorial S Proof pennies were produced without the necessary “S” mintmark. Some may mistake it to be from Philadelphia Mint with the lack of mint mark but know that proof coins are distinguishable with their frozen, mirror-like finish.

This mistake is extremely uncommon, and as a result, only a few of these coins—fewer than 200—are known to exist. Occasionally, one of these rare pennies will turn up in a batch of 1990 proof sets that have yet to be searched. The discovery of one of these coins in such a situation can be exciting for collectors, as this particular variation is considered to be one of the most valuable and notable modern proof-strike penny errors.

The high demand for this coin is due to its rarity and uniqueness. Collectors are willing to pay a premium price for the chance to add this exceptional error to their collections. As a result, the 1990 penny value without the “S” mark has remained high over the years, and they continue to become a valuable pieces among collectors.

1990 Lincoln Memorial Penny Grading

The 1990 penny value depends on its condition and color, which are used to grade the coin. Three color categories are red, red and brown, and brown. Red coins have 85-90% red color, RB coins have around 15-20% red, and brown coins have little to no red color remaining. Grading involves assessing the coin’s appearance, including luster, detail, wear, and damage. Some brown coins may also have non-red hues, such as purple or blue.

To better understand how this grading system works, here is a video from Treasure Town and his analysis of the 1990 penny value according to its errors and variety.

Rare 1990 Lincoln Memorial Penny Error Lists

Undoubtedly, the 1990 San Francisco penny without the S mint mark stands out as the most valuable error in this coin series. Here is a video to find out how to identify the 1990 S penny. However, there are other errors that collectors should keep an eye out for. Several other errors could potentially fetch a high value. Here are a few examples:

1. 1990 Penny Off-center Error

The 1990 P (No Mint Mark) Lincoln Cent is a mint error coin that has an off-center strike. Specifically, the coin was struck 10% off-center from the intended placement of the planchet (blank metal disk used to create the coin). This means that the design elements on the front and back of the coin, including the date, will appear shifted towards one side of the coin.

The 1990 penny value with this error is being offered for sale at a price of US $59.95, likely due to its rarity as a result of the error.

2. 1990 Penny Double Die Error

The 1990 penny experienced a double die error due to a misalignment in the coin’s hubbing process causing six distinct types of double die errors on the 1990 penny. Among these errors were four on the reverse and two on the obverse, featuring replicated design elements. These errors can be identified by observing the columns or steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the reverse side of the letters and numbers on the obverse.

The value of the mint state coins with these double die errors varies from $2.50 to $125 based on their quality.

3. 1990 Penny Struck on a Bronze Planchet Error

Before 1982, pennies in the United States were made of bronze, an alloy of copper, tin, and zinc. That year, the United States Mint switched to a new composition for pennies: copper-plated zinc. However, due to a mistake, some of the new pennies were struck on the old bronze planchets that were intended for the old pennies. These coins, called “transition errors,” are relatively rare and valuable to collectors because they differ from standard coins.

The transition errors are worth more than regular pennies because they weigh more than the standard 2.5 grams, as the bronze planchets weigh 3.1 grams. This weight difference is significant enough to be noticed by collectors and can make these coins very valuable.

One example of a transition error penny is the red-brown 1990 penny value that sold for $4,300 at auction in 2021. This particular penny was struck on a bronze planchet instead of the usual copper-plated zinc planchet.

4. 1990 Penny Misprint Error

In 1990, a unique and rare penny was discovered, missing the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST.” This phrase has been a part of the design of US coins since the Civil War and is a vital aspect of the coin’s design.

In addition to the missing phrase, this particular penny has a misprint or mis-strike in the “0” of the year, meaning that the “0” was not struck correctly, resulting in an incomplete or missing digit. Moreover, the word “LIBERTY” on the penny is missing the letter “L.”

1990 Penny FAQ

How much is a 1990 penny with no S worth?

The PR69 grade for proof coins is widely recognized as the most prestigious and valuable for proof coins. In fact, a 1990 penny value with this grade can fetch a high price of $5,620. On the other hand, the lowest grades for the 1990 proof coins are PR61 and PR60, which are still quite valuable at $2,000 and $1,880, respectively.

Even the lowest grade for these coins is still quite valuable, especially considering they are one-cent coins. This is a testament to the high quality of proof coins minted in 1990 and their enduring worth as collectibles.