It’s true — there’s a rare 1992 penny out there and you might find it in your pocket change!
This 1992 penny is worth up to $25,000 (maybe more). It’s known as the Close AM variety or the 1992 Close AM penny.
I’m going to tell you what to look for on your 1992 penny to see if you have this 1992 penny error. I’ll also tell you what your other 1992 pennies are worth.
How To Tell If You Have A 1992 Close AM Penny
From 1959 through 1992, the bases of the letters “A” and “M” in the word “AMERICA” on the reverse (“tails side”) of the Lincoln Memorial penny were spaced apart — leaving a gap between the bottoms of the letters.
Officials at the United States Mint decided to move the letters “A” and “M” closer together during a period when U.S. coins were undergoing minor design modifications.
A new reverse design with the Close AM feature was to be implemented on Lincoln Memorial pennies beginning in 1993 — but somehow the 1993 reverse dies wound up being used in 1992 on both the Philadelphia (no mintmark) and Denver (1992-D) pennies.
The mistake was soon caught, but not before a handful of 1992 and 1992-D Close AM Lincoln pennies were minted.
Here’s what the 1992 Close AM penny looks like.
Yes, it’s possible to find a 1992 Close AM penny in your pocket change today!
As of September 2017, there were five known 1992 Close AM pennies and about a dozen 1992-D Close AM pennies in existence.
1992 Close AM penny values vary, depending on the mintmark and grade:
- 1992 Close AM penny value — The highest price paid so far is $25,850 for a Mint State-67 specimen sold by Heritage Auctions in 2017. A year earlier, a Mint State-64 specimen of the 1992 Close AM penny took $8,812.50 at another Heritage Auctions event. A 1992 Close AM penny grading Mint State-61 sold for $1,703.75 in August 2017.
- 1992-D Close AM penny value — The record price on a 1992-D Close AM penny is $20,700 for a Mint State-64 specimen sold by Heritage Auctions in July 2012. Other 1992-D Close AM pennies have sold for lower prices — ranging from $14,100 for a Mint State-65 coin that was auctioned in 2014 down to $2,820 for a Mint State-62 coin. Circulated 1992-D Close AM pennies are worth a few hundred dollars and up, depending upon their condition. It’s possible that prices for the 1992-D Close AM pennies may decline if more of these rare pennies are discovered in the years ahead but demand for them doesn’t grow.
Be sure to check the backs of every 1992 penny you find — to see if you have this popular, rare error coin!
All Other 1992 Penny Values
Maybe you’ve looked at the backs of your 1992 pennies and don’t see any with the Close AM varieties — so what are regular 1992 pennies worth?
If your 1992 pennies don’t have any errors or varieties but are worn, then they’re worth face value. However, if you have uncirculated or proof 1992 pennies, they are certainly worth more than 1 cent!
Here’s how much uncirculated and proof 1992 pennies are worth:
- 1992 Philadelphia (no mintmark) penny — 4,648,905,000 minted; 10 to 25+ cents
- 1992-D penny (Denver) — 4,448,673,300 minted; 10 to 25+ cents
- 1992-S proof penny (San Francisco) — 4,176,560 minted; $2+
*Values above are for uncirculated and proof 1992 pennies. A circulated 1992 penny with no errors or varieties is worth face value.
IMPORTANT: What Is The Grade Of Your 1992 Penny?
To determine the true value of your 1992 penny, you first need to know what condition (or grade) your coin is in.
These coin grading apps make grading coins yourself SO much easier!
Do you have a 1992 penny? Think there may be something unique about it? Post a picture of your coin in the comments below and I’ll try to help!
Leave a Comment