1919 S Wheat Penny 0

[Raegan]

Hello,

I have several wheat pennies.  One of my big questions is how to tell if it is Red, Red Brown, or Brown.  Can you tell by my picture which "color" I have?  Also being new to collecting, I am not good on "quality ratings".   And obviously, the hundred dollar question is what value this penny has.  

[Raegan]

I would say it is RED.  

[JKK]

Red, brown, and red/brown only apply to nearly uncirculated coins with regard to original color. Once all the original red is gone, it's not coming back, and what remains is the common brown designation which no one bothers with (it would apply to virtually every well circulated copper coin). This coin is discolored during long circulation that has worn it down to a grade of G-4 or AG-3. It might be worth $0.10-0.15.

I suggest doing some searches for graded red and red/brown copper, so you can see what the grading services awarded that designation to.

[Mohawk]

Hi again Raegan!!!

Jonathan has this nailed once again on all counts.  Definitely take his advice and check out some graded MS copper......it'll be a great learning experience and then you'll know what MS copper in all three colors should look like.  

~Tom

[Raegan]

Thank you!  I will check out some articles on MS copper.   So far on the four coins, I better keep my day job, LOL!  About $1 but still fun to learn about coins.    

[Mohawk]

On 9/19/2021 at 5:59 PM, Raegan said:

Thank you!  I will check out some articles on MS copper.   So far on the four coins, I better keep my day job, LOL!  About $1 but still fun to learn about coins.    

Learning this hobby is A LOT of work......making a profit at it adds to the difficulty.  It's not the kind of thing you can wade into and learn quickly.  I was in this hobby as an adult for 9 years before I sold a single coin, and even so, I made some mistakes with trying to make money at selling coins.  But you're doing the right things to learn....you are looking at coins, handling coins, asking good questions and you're taking the answers you receive to heart and you're using them to improve.  If you keep doing these things, you'll be successful at the hobby but don't expect it to happen overnight.  I've been active in this hobby as an adult for 22 years.  There are people here who have been in this hobby for 50 years.  And we're all still learning new things!! One of the best secrets to success here is not to get into this with the goal of making money.....because at first, you likely won't.  That comes later if it comes at all.  People who are successful at it are the ones that got into it out of genuine intellectual interest and a true love of coins combined with a desire to learn about them.  

[Jason Abshier]

Actually the coin you are showing in picture isn’t red at all looks fuzzy in picture looks like some kind form of environmental damage or awkward color for an old worn Wheat cent or any copper type of coin …Copperish “Red” is only for MS type of coins you’ll know when you see it, most old uncirculated copper coins are either red/brown or Brown and chocolate brown, (if they look pinkish color? Chances are it been dipped or cleaned) that’s beauty of collecting copper coinage it stands out a mile away when it been altered or dipped or harshly cleaned , silver is tricker to spot if it been cleaned only with close up pictures or under loupe you can tell it been cleaned , dipping is another subject over dipped coins scream they been ruined can make you go blind if you look at them too long . But lightly properly dipped silver coin looks bright white which some collectors prefer. Copper cannot be dipped Successfully Although I heard stories, but I have see it to believe it … so don’t ever try to dip copper coinage 

Edited September 19, 2021 by Jason Abshier

[Mohawk]

On 9/19/2021 at 6:25 PM, Jason Abshier said:

 Copper cannot be dipped Successfully Although I heard stories, but I have see it to believe it … so don’t ever try to dip copper coinage 

Depends on the age of the copper and the skill of the dipper.  There was a guy at the coin shop I went to when I first got back into coins in 1999, and he could dip a hazy Proof Lincoln Cent from the 1950 forward range and you'd likely never know it.  He even had Lincolns he de-hazed in this way straight grade at PCGS and grade pretty high, too!! That said though, this one particular gentleman is the only one I've ever seen with the skill to do this.  

[JKK]

On 9/19/2021 at 2:59 PM, Raegan said:

Thank you!  I will check out some articles on MS copper.   So far on the four coins, I better keep my day job, LOL!  About $1 but still fun to learn about coins.    

It's okay. It was a natural question, and the advanced questions don't tend to come until we take care of the basics. We all had them at one time. When you see some full red copper, you'll understand just how beautiful it can be.

[Mohawk]

On 9/19/2021 at 8:37 PM, JKK said:

It's okay. It was a natural question, and the advanced questions don't tend to come until we take care of the basics. We all had them at one time. When you see some full red copper, you'll understand just how beautiful it can be.

It really can.  I have some beautiful British India 1/4 Annas....they're just gorgeous!! I've been selling a lot of my other collections to put into the Faustina project, but those are still hanging around.  That's a testament to the beauty of MS RD and RB copper!!