Old Wheat Pennies - Keep Or Sell?

Well, for one thing, I love the look of the reverse. The curved wheat stalks represent nature, as opposed to the man-made straight lines and right angles of the memorial reverse. (I'm not going to even mention the horrid shield reverse. Oops--too late, I just did.)

The wheaties also were all minted before I was born (1959). So they are all automatically attached to a history I never knew in real life.

Continuing the historical angle, the farther we go back, the more the world changes. Just imagine someone holding a brand-new 1937 wheatie. In that moment, the name Hitler was still one that you might hear just occasionally on the radio or see on the newsreels at the local movie theater, but nothing too sinister yet. In 1937, World War One was known as "the world war" or "the great war" ("great" in the sense that it was something large, influential and noteworthy).

Going back even further, someone holding a new 1913 wheatie would know nothing of what are called "world wars." Someone holding a new 1909 wheatie might have actually been around in Lincoln's time, as our great president had died only 44 years previous. And in 1909, the following items had yet to be invented: the crossword puzzle (1913), the bra (1913), the Band-Aid (1920), the traffic signal (1923), bubble gum (1928), the car radio (1929), Scotch tape (1930), commercial air travel (1933), jet engines (1937), the ballpoint pen (1938) and the helicopter (1939), not to mention penicillin and antibiotics. Imagine not only not having these items in your life but not even having any conception of them.

Obviously there are other historical markers; these are the examples that first come to my mind. So like all old coins, owning a wheatie is like owning a piece of personal history. They were around in my parents' childhoods. They've all been around for at least 65 years--older than I am. And if they could talk, each cent could relate innumerable stories of the hands they've been in, the places they've been and the history they have witnessed.

Yep, I like the old stuff for historical reasons also. I think of old stuff as 40s and 50s. My wife reminder however that old stuff now is 80s and 90s. hahahahaha

Kepp em. Memorials too. throw them in a bucket in the corner.

Well this is just sad to read :-)
I have a collection from 50+ years ago, my mother got me started on when I was a pre and middle teen. She did more work on it than I did!
So, I have pennies, some 20s, more 30s, 40s and 50s, and many rolls from 60 to 81.
Probably 70lbs worth.
I recently pulled it out of the closet and decided I might as well liquidate before I die.
It there any value other than face value that I can realize?

Mikek

P.S. I do know the silver has melt value.

I always keep them.

I keep mine for we all remember the real reasons for the copper shortages and I'd want to provide :)

A man after my own heart. I agree totally.

If they are in very fine or better, I stick them in flips and keep them. If they are good or below, I accumulate them and sell them to the local coin shop when I get a roll or so. I keep some in case my grandson acquires an interest so he can put them in Whitman folders.