Memorial S Mints The New Wheaties?

I could absolutely see them being worth 2-5 cents each in the next few decades, but I don't think their value will ever increase significantly. They are fun to find, but there are just too darn many of them.

Plus, depending on how you look at it, a 1968-S penny was worth more as currency in 1968 than 5 cents would be worth now. Unless we are going to see a 2,000% increase in copper, you're technically losing money by keeping any non-rare penny made since about the 1930s.

The incidence of wheaties has been consistent since about 1976 or so because they are always getting pulled out of circulation and then people spend their small accunulations. Most wheaties are out of circulation at any given time while almost all surviving S-mint memorials are in circulation. While the incidence of wheaties is steady the incidence of the S-mints has been dropping like a rock because of attrition and the huge mintages of newer coins to replace all the lost pennies. Now there's a new drain on the S-mints since they are being hoarded along with all copper pennies. These will be protected from the ravages of circulation but they might be a more sinister coin destroyer; the remelting furnace.

I can't help myself - I've always saved the s-mints since I was a kid during the era they were being minted.

Hi guys, I'm new here. I've been coin collecting since I was 13, but I just seriously started coin roll hunting. I can't afford higher denominations, but I can afford pennies. I just searched a box last week that contained 12 1959 Plain, around 30 1968,69 S, and 30-40 1970's S all BU. I also found a 1962 S mirror proof. I, of course, took them from circulation and rolled them. Saturday I took a trip to my LCS and I had them evaluate the proof; they said it was worth about $1.00 and the BU cents are running about $.02. I think the original poster does have a great hypothesis and I really do hope the hypothesis turns out to be right.

I thought this topic would be good for a first post. I'm really loving the coincommunity.com community and I thank the creators for creating a great site for our hobby.

Hope you guys are having a great day,
mini_dude

EDIT: those 1959 were not S, just plain Philly. Also edited exact numbers and years after recounting.

I'd agree with the fact that the S mints from the 60's and 70's are about as rare as some wheaties. I hardly ever see any S mints when I'm roll hunting pennies. Also, look at the mintage figures the S mints have quite a bit lower numbers, some even 10 fold lower than the other mints. I still haven't been able to find '73 and '74 S at all! They're the only two missing above 1960 in my collection.

I'm in the midwest and I'm lucky to get 3-4 LMC S mints per box. I've only found a few that were uncirculated. Wheats are more common for me (almost always 50's-D and 40's-P). I get anywhere from 8-15 per box on average I'd say.

I have an entire roll of uncirculated 1969 S pennies that my dad bought when he was a kid