At that time, the reverse of the coin carried a design of two sheaves of wheat. The Lincoln Penny, also known as the Lincoln Cent, was first struck way back in 1909. We’ve got everything you need to know about the 1990 penny value. So how do you sort the average coins from the special ones? That’s where we can help. But a few coins are collectors’ pieces and can sell for considerably more. Most 1990 pennies aren’t worth more than their face value.