They go onto the web and google the date. I can tell you that the penny you have found is almost 99.99% surely just an ordinary one worth less than $1. A proof coin that a dealer may have is a rare item.
If you want to have a valuable specimen, look at the uncirculated coins that have an MS grade. At MS-67, the price of a 1944 S mint mark wheat penny is between $120 to $200. However, at auctions, the price hikes up to thousands of dollars.
The 1944 Lincoln penny is particularly desirable in the eyes of collectors not only because of its design, but also due to its scarcity. Being that there are no more 1944 Lincolns being produced, the scarcity of these coins is constantly on the rise, thus making the coins more valuable.
The most ever paid at auction for a 1944 wheat penny was $408,000 in 2021 for a 1944-S Zinc-Coated Steel Lincoln Cent, MS66. The coin represented the only known mint state example known.
The title of Australia's rarest penny, while many think it's the 1930 penny, actually goes to the ones made at the Melbourne Mint in 1945. Featuring Thomas Humphrey Paget's effigy of King George VI and the jumping kangaroo reverse, only four pennies were produced at the Melbourne Mint that year.
An extremely rare 1930 Australian penny has sold for $60,000 at auction, breaking an Australian record. The coin went under the hammer over the weekend and was bought by a Western Australian bidder.
The average value of "1944 no mint wheat cent" is $182.23. Sold comparables range in price from a low of $1.00 to a high of $2,005.30.
1944 Wheat Penny Doubled Die Obverse
Sometimes the mint struck these coins multiple times to get the perfect look. As it happened, the year mark, the word liberty, and Lincoln's eyes look doubled.
A quick way to check the authenticity of a 1944 Steel Penny is to see if it sticks to a magnet. Coins made of steel will stick to magnets while those that are zinc coated and copper (fakes), will not.
Some examples of pennies worth $1,000 or more include the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent, the 1909-S Indian Cent, the 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent and the 1914-D Lincoln Cent. The better the quality of the coin, the more it could be worth.
The most valuable 1940 penny (with wear from circulation) is the 1940-S penny.
Wet the affected coin with clean tap or distilled water, roll in baking soda, then gently scrub with a soft toothbrush. Rinse the baking soda and debris off with more clean water, and repeat the steps if necessary.
According to the NGC Price Guide, as of June 2023, a Wheat Penny from 1944 in circulated condition is worth between $35000 and $43500. However, on the open market 1944 STEEL Pennies in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $175000.
1944 "Silver Penny"
These error coins made of steel instead of copper hold a silvery color. Because of that, they are called "Silver Pennies," although they are not real silver coins, just zinc-plated steel like the ones from 1943.
With over 430 million 1944-D Wheat cents minted, it is estimated that tens of thousands of 1944-D/S error coins exist.
A bronze coin (30.8 mm diameter with plain edge) featuring a bare head of George VI facing left; around, GEORGIVS VI D:G: BR: OMN: REX F:D: IND: IMP: ; below head in small lettering the artist's initials HP.
First, the color of the steelie will be shiny and gray, while the copper cent will look dull. Next, grab a magnet, the steel penny will stick to the magnet and the copper penny will not. If you suspect you own a 1944 steel penny and it sticks to a magnet, check the date very carefully.
How Much Is a 1943 Steel Penny Worth Today? These silver-colored 1943 cents are not rare nor hard to come by, thus fetching low prices of perhaps 10-13 cents for coins in circulated conditions and 50+ cents when uncirculated, showing no trace of circulation wear or loss of original mint luster.
"Double die pennies are highly sought after by coin collectors because they are considered a rare and valuable error. The double image on the coin makes it unique and highly prized among collectors."
That means the pennies were accidentally stamped twice during the minting process creating a blurred, double-letter effect. A 1958 Lincoln, Doubled Die Obverse cent sold in a GreatCollections auction has become the first Lincoln cent and first non-gold 20th century coin to sell for more than a million dollars.
No mint marks appeared on circulating coins from 1965 to 1967. The Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated mint marks to discourage collecting while the Mint worked to meet the country's coinage needs. Mint marks were placed on the reverse of coins until 1968 when they moved to the obverse.
A new $2 coin commemorating the end of the Vietnam War has skyrocketed in value and is now selling for up to $1,200 online. The Royal Australian Mint released two $2 coins earlier this month to commemorate 50 years since the end of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War.
Which Australian One Dollar Coins Are Valuable? Australia's rarest one dollar coin is the 2000 $1/10c mule - this is the one to look for! A few years ago, a mint condition example sold at auction for more than $10,000.