Some pennies are worth more than meets the eye: they're barely heavy in your pocket, but if you're lucky enough to find them you can make a fortune on the collector's market.
Some pennies minted in 1943 and 1944, for example, are among the 25 most valuable coins, according to the CoinTrackers page, with a price of up to $408,000 in the case of the 1944 Steel Penny, of which only a few were issued and by mistake. , according to that website.
News of the immense value of these coins made headlines earlier this year when a man, Don Lutes, found among his possessions a bronze 1943 Lincoln penny, which later sold at auction for $204,000, according to
reports
. the Heritage Auctions organization, CNBC reported.
Pennies displayed at Glenview Coin & Collectibles on July 6, 2006 in Glenview, Illinois.Tim Boyle/Getty Images
"The then young 16-year-old Lutes received the copper-colored penny as change in his school cafeteria in 1947," David Stone, Heritage's coin cataloguer, explained to the aforementioned medium.
Stone explained to CNBC that pennies have been around "since the beginnings of the American monetary system," but only a few achieve high collector value: One minted in 1972 and known as the Birch penny sold at a Heritage auction in 2015 for a record price. of almost
2.6 million dollars.
How can a penny skyrocket in value like this?
According to the expert it depends on its
quality and rarity.
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Here are some of the coins that are worth much more, according to Stone:
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A
1943 bronze Lincoln
penny like the one discovered by Lutes sold in 2010 for
$1.7 million.
In that
Only a few bronze coins were minted at that time, most were zinc-coated steel, which is why it is known as “the most famous mistake coin in American numismatics,” says Stone, and the probability of finding one is extremely low ( they only know between 15 and 20).
In fact, due to their great value, fake bronze Lincoln coins (made with steel) were minted, so the Mint suggests trying a magnet first: if it sticks, it's not copper.
In 1969, nearly 1,000 coins were minted with an error: the dies are duplicated, which is especially noticeable in the words
LIBERTY
and
IN GOD WE TRUST
.
Last year one sold for $35,000, according to Coin World.
In 1992 some 250,000 pence were minted with an error: America's
A
and
M
touch each other (hence they are known as
Close AM
).
A coin in new condition can be worth $20,000.
In 1972, at least 250,000 coins came out with the duplicate die: this duplication can be seen in the words
LIBERTY
and
IN GOD WE TRUST.
A new coin could be worth up to $500, and a used one, $100.
In 1995, some coins came out with a double die on the word
LIBERTY
(especially on the B) and on the date.
Being more common, they are less valuable: a coin in good condition can sell for $45.
If you think you have a valuable coin, consult a professional. Some auction houses offer free appraisals.
