Welcome to a wonderful hobby. I caught the bug just over a year ago and it is infectious. Look out for subsequent malnutrition of your wallet....
Welcome also to this forum, which as a newbie I have found a mine of information.
Pre 1860 pennies are larger and heavier. It is worth getting hold of one just to compare.
Pennies from 1860 to 1967 are all of a similar design. There are many small varieties in some years.
Rare or valuable years to look for are 1864 1869 1871 1875H ( Heaton mintmark ) 1894 1950 1951. None of these will be particularly valuable.
Two fabled years are 1933 - only 7 known, and 1954 - only 1 known.