Unless it's one of the key-dates (which is only realistically 5 or 6 of them in the entire date ranges of wheaties), I just toss them in with my memorial cents and spend them.
I tumble the really crusty ones. Then I put them in rolls by date and throw them in a shoebox.
Why are there so many 40s and 50s?
Interesting fact. There are about 145 copper pennies in a pound. Price of copper is about $2.95 a pound. However I think it is illegal to melt down pennies. I guess they are still not worth saving.