Lincoln Wheat Cent Series

1958 Lincoln Wheat Cent

History, varieties, and collector guide

1958 Overview

The 1958 Lincoln cent is the final regular‑issue Wheat‑reverse year, struck at Philadelphia and Denver just before the Memorial reverse debuted in 1959. Philadelphia produced 252,525,000 cents, while Denver struck 800,953,300, making 1958‑D the last and most abundant Denver Wheat cent.

Most 1958 cents are common and worth only a few cents in circulation, yet bright red Mint State coins, a tiny population of 1958 doubled‑die obverse cents, and a substantial list of 1958‑D RPM varieties provide serious upside at the top end.

Design and specifications

The 1958 cent uses Victor D. Brenner’s Lincoln obverse and Wheat reverse on a standard bronze planchet.

Key specifications (all 1958 cents),

Composition, 95% copper and 5% tin and zinc.
Weight, 3.11 grams.
Diameter, 19.00 millimeters.
Edge, plain.
Designer, Victor David Brenner (obverse and reverse).
Mintmarks, none (Philadelphia), D (Denver).

Obverse design,

Right‑facing bust of Abraham Lincoln.
“IN GOD WE TRUST” at top, “LIBERTY” at left, date “1958” at right.
“D” mintmark below the date on Denver coins.

Reverse design,

“ONE CENT” and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” in the center.
Two wheat ears along the rim.
“E PLURIBUS UNUM” above.

As the last Wheat year, 1958 often appears in type sets as the “end cap” to Brenner’s classic reverse.

Mintage and basic value ranges

Mintages for 1958 Wheat cents,

1958 (Philadelphia, no mintmark), 252,525,000.
1958‑D (Denver), 800,953,300.

USA Coin Book’s table for 1958‑D gives approximate values,

Fine (F‑12), about 0.06 dollars.
Very Fine (VF‑20), about 0.12 dollars.
Extremely Fine (EF‑40), about 0.14 dollars.
About Uncirculated (AU‑50), about 0.18 dollars.
Uncirculated MS‑60, about 0.36 dollars.
Uncirculated MS‑63, about 1.22 dollars.

Bullion Shark’s 1958 guide notes,

Circulated 1958 cents typically are worth only a few cents.
Uncirculated pieces graded MS65 and higher command much stronger prices.
For the very highest grades, 1958 Wheat cents can range from around 2,000 to 9,000 dollars, especially for red, sharply struck examples.

For the regular 1958‑D issue, PCGS comments that MS65 and MS66 coins are plentiful, and even MS67 RD pieces are relatively easier to find compared with earlier Wheat dates, though higher grades remain scarce.

The exceptional outlier is the rare 1958 doubled‑die obverse (Philadelphia), where one certified MS64 RD example has achieved an auction record around 336,000 dollars.

Varieties and errors

1958 is best known in specialist circles for the ultra‑rare doubled‑die obverse and a suite of 1958‑D RPMs.

Key 1958 varieties and errors,

1958 doubled‑die obverse (DDO), Philadelphia
- Numismatic News reports that the 1958 doubled‑die cent shows very strong obverse doubling and that only three specimens are confirmed, making it dramatically rarer than the famous 1955 DDO.
- Bullion Shark notes an MS64 RD auction record of 336,000 dollars for a 1958 DDO, and lists top‑grade 1958 Wheat cents in the 2,000–9,000‑dollar range even without this extreme variety.
1958‑D RPMs (D/D varieties)
- Variety Vista documents multiple 1958‑D RPMs, with RPM‑001 singled out on its own page as a D/D repunching with clear extra mintmark detail.
- Wexler’s RPM overview cites the 1958‑D WRPM‑003 as a D/D Tilted variety, where one D punch is rotated relative to the other, making the RPM visible as a slanted or shifted mintmark.
- Axtell’s RPM index lists 1958‑D among its Lincoln Wheat RPM entries, reinforcing that Denver 1958 cents offer a useful playground for RPM hunters.
Other errors
- Popular guides and videos on 1958 wheat‑cent value highlight off‑center strikes, strong strike‑through errors, and high‑grade red coins with minor doubled details as pieces that can be worth far more than face value.

Virtually all of the extreme value lies in the Philadelphia DDO and the highest‑grade red RPM and error pieces; normal RPMs in lower grade bring only modest premiums.

Collecting 1958 cents

1958 is extremely accessible for set builders but also a high‑stakes date at the variety and condition extremes.

Collecting tips,

Assemble a P‑D pair first, VF–XF 1958 and 1958‑D cents are inexpensive and easy to pull from bulk Wheat lots.
For Mint State, concentrate on color, red‑brown can be a good value, while truly full red, spot‑free coins in MS65–MS67 are the best candidates for grading and long‑term hold.
Use RPM references for 1958‑D, look specifically for RPM‑001 and the D/D Tilted WRPM‑003, where extra mintmark structure or rotation is visible under magnification.
Treat the 1958 DDO as a once‑in‑a‑generation rarity, any coin that appears to show strong obverse doubling should be authenticated immediately by a top third‑party grader.
On a series page, present 1958 as both “last Wheat” type coin and as a cautionary example of how a rare variety can transform an otherwise common date.

A clear 1958 layout on your site can show a P‑D mintage/value table, a type‑note about “last Wheat year,” and a spotlight on the 1958 DDO and a representative 1958‑D RPM mintmark.

6 fun facts about 1958 cents

1958 is the final year of the Wheat cent design. The Lincoln Memorial reverse replaced it in 1959, closing out a 50-year run that began in 1909.
Denver’s 1958 mintage of 800,953,300 cents makes 1958-D the last and one of the most abundant Denver Wheat cents ever struck.
Philadelphia added 252,525,000 cents in 1958, rounding out combined production of just over 1.05 billion coins for the final Wheat cent year.
The 1958 doubled-die obverse is one of the rarest and most valuable Lincoln cent varieties known, with only a small handful of genuine examples confirmed to exist.
A certified 1958 doubled-die obverse cent sold for $336,000 at auction in 2018, reflecting its extreme rarity and importance as one of the last great Wheat cent errors.
Because 1958 marks the end of an era, it’s a popular “bookend” date for collectors building a complete year-by-year Wheat cent set from 1909 to 1958.

6 common FAQs about the 1958 Lincoln cent

Why is the 1958 penny significant?
It’s the final year of the Lincoln Wheat cent design before the Memorial reverse debuted in 1959, making it the natural bookend for a complete Wheat cent collection.
What is the 1958 doubled-die obverse?
It’s an extremely rare error variety showing doubling on the obverse lettering and date, with only a small number of genuine examples known and values reaching well into six figures.
How much is a typical 1958 penny worth?
Circulated 1958 and 1958-D cents are common and generally worth just a few cents, since Denver alone struck over 800 million that year.
Which mints struck 1958 cents?
Philadelphia and Denver both struck 1958 cents; San Francisco had stopped producing cents after 1955.
Is the 1958 doubled-die obverse the same as the more famous 1955 doubled-die?
No, they’re different varieties from different years, though both are among the most celebrated doubled-die errors in Lincoln cent history.
What replaced the Wheat cent design after 1958?
The Lincoln Memorial reverse, designed by Frank Gasparro, debuted in 1959 and replaced the wheat-ears design used since 1909.

3 quiz questions about 1958 Lincoln cents

What year replaced the Wheat cent reverse with the Lincoln Memorial design?
A) 1955
B) 1957
C) 1958
D) 1959
Roughly how much did a certified 1958 doubled-die obverse cent sell for in 2018?
A) $3,360
B) $33,600
C) $336,000
D) $3,360,000
Which mint struck the most 1958 cents?
A) Philadelphia
B) Denver
C) San Francisco
D) They were equal

1958 Lincoln Cent, Takeaway

1958 is a finale Wheat‑cent year, easy and cheap to collect in ordinary grades, yet capped by one of the rarest and most valuable doubled‑die cents ever made and backed by a healthy roster of 1958‑D RPMs that reward close study. For your Lincoln series it neatly closes the Wheat chapter, showing that even the last date in a long‑running design can hide headline‑making varieties behind a sea of common bronze cents.

Continue Exploring Lincoln Wheat Cents..

1957 Lincoln Wheat Cents | Explore the Full Lincoln Wheat Cent Guide