As we all know, a penny is typically worth one cent. However, there are some valuable pennies out there that can fetch much more. A few years ago, one such penny made headlines. It was discovered to be half a century old. The Lincoln cent made in bronze and minted in 1943 went on to attract close to 30 bids. It was finally sold for a whopping $204,000 in January 2019.
The sale was conducted by Heritage Auctions, the body behind conducting most auctions related to historic coins. The penny had been discovered amidst the possessions of a man called Don Lutes. And according to David Stone, a coin cataloger, “The then 16-year-old Lutes received the copper-colored penny in change at his high school cafeteria in 1947.” Lutes had been in possession of the coin till 2018 when he passed away. While his health failed gradually, he made it a point to bequeath it to Heritage Auctions.
Stone further stated, “One-cent coins have been around since the beginning of the US monetary system. Several prototypes for the cent were produced in 1792, including the large Birch cent.” One of the finest Birch cents from 1792 was sold in 2015 for a sum of $2.6 million, which naturally made it the most ever paid for a single cent at the auction. One needs to remember that the worth of a penny is highly dependent on its rarity and quality. Although most of the pennies around the world are simply with a couple of bucks, the really coveted ones could be sitting innocuously on your couch. The chances of that being possible can be really slim- but they are never zero. So always check your change when you receive it.
Here Are Some Of The Most Valuable Pennies Around the World
1999 Wide AM Reverse
This penny can be considered to be the antithesis of the 1992 Close AM. Bucki stated, “The regular run was supposed to have the letters A and M in AMERICA almost touching, and the special proof coins were supposed to have a wider space between those letters.” It is assumed that the mint for the coins mistakenly used a proof die in order to strike the coins which were used for normal circulation. According to Bucki, any such coin found in a good condition could fetch around $500.
1995 Doubled Die Obverse
The doubling on the 1995 coins isn’t as obvious and permanent as on the 1972 Doubled die Coins. Bucki has also mentioned that it is quite noticeable that the die is visible prominently on the word LIBERTY- especially in the letter B. One could also find some light doubling on the particular date of the coin. He claimed, “These are one of the easiest valuable pennies to find. I’ve found one myself.” Since these coins are quite common- they don’t fetch as high a price. Stone believes that one such coin could go up to a price of $45.
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1983 Double Die Reverse
In this valuable penny, one would find the doubling on the reverse side of the coin. According to James Bucki, “It’s especially obvious in the words ‘ONE CENT’ and ‘E PLURIBUS UNUM’. It looks like you’re seeing double.” According to this numismatist and historian, only 250,000 of these pennies had been minted throughout history. A time-worn coin could sell for $75, while a coin that looks much cleaner can fetch about $200.
1972 Doubled Die Obverse
This coin finds multiple similarities with the 1969 Doubled Die, with the doubling quite prominent in the words LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST. Stone believes that one could find some doubling on the date as well. Bucki estimates that there are around 250,000 such coins currently- that were released with the doubled die. “I know a couple of people who have found these in their pocket change.” This coin could fetch a price of $100 if in used condition- but would fetch a price of $500 if it is relatively fresh.
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1992 Close AM Reverse
One of the most valuable pennies around, Stone does have a curious observation about it. “On the reverse of the 1992 Close AM, the right foot of the A and the left foot of the M in AMERICA touch.” Bucki further explains that this has been made possible because the Mint used in the early 1990s and 2000s utilized different dies to mint new coins for circulation, and proof coins that were brought in for collectors. But there was a slight mix-up in the transfer process- so a proof die was utilized for the reverse of the coin before it was circulated in 1993. He estimates that such a coin in fairly new condition could go up to $20,000. But a used coin will also fetch a tiny sum of $2000.
1969-S Doubled Die Obverse
The doubling on this penny can be seen in the words LIBERTY and IN GOD WE TRUST. If one wanted to find the mint for this particular batch of coins, one could try looking for the letter S which would be located just below the year of circulation- 1969. This implies that the coin was created at the San Francisco Mint. Accordion to James Bucki, only 1,000 coins have been made- which means that a coin in good condition will fetch a price of $70,000.
1943 Bronze Lincoln
Quite possibly one of the most valuable pennies around, only a few pennies of this variety have been discovered to date. Stone mentioned, “The most valuable Lincoln cent was sold in 2010 for a hefty sum of $1.7 million.” He further claimed, “Some of the old bronze planchets got stuck in the big tote bins that the Mint used to feed the coin presses at the end of 1942. The few bronze coins that were stuck went unnoticed and got released into circulation.”
Some of the valuable pennies can easily make someone’s life. So, why don’t you try looking for one of them in your house? You might just strike gold!
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