A LINCOLN penny worth $336,000 is still in circulation today nearly 80 years after being found.
The 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent is one of the most famous error-coins in history, after a rare few were mistakenly manufactured during World War 2.
It’s a sight to behold for coin enthusiasts, with a bold bust of Abraham Lincoln on the front complete with the expected amount of historical wear and tear.
The gorgeous reddish-brown color adds a tactile texture to the piece.
On the back, the coin reads “ONE CENT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA”.
The history behind it is just as fascinating, according to Heritage Auctions.
The copper used for coining bronze cents was needed for the manufacture of munitions during World War 2, meaning all Lincoln cents were supposed to be struck on zinc-coated steel.
By a stroke of pure chance, some of the old bronze plates remained stuck in the tote bins used to feed the coin presses at the end of 1942.
When coinage began in 1943, this handful of bronze plates became dislodged and fed into the presses, along with millions of the regular-issue “steel” planchets.
This created an unexpected coin error, where only a handful of 1943 bronze Lincoln coins were produced.
The mystery grew when false rumors began to circulate that Henry Ford would give a new car to anyone who could find him a 1943 “copper” cent.
Public fascination for this coin flourished overnight, and it has stayed that way ever since.
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The nature of the coin’s origin also made it highly controversial at the time
When they first turned up in circulation in 1947, they captured the public’s imagination.
They inspired numerous ads and stories in magazines and comic books throughout the 1950s and 1960s.
The coin weighs 3.11g and consists of 95% copper metal.
One of them was first found in circulation by Marvin Beyer, Jr., age 14, around 1957.
Rare coins
You may be holding something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles on rare coins to see if you may have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
- Rare Lincoln penny sells for $201
- This buffalo nickel sold for $1,165
- 1971 Eisenhower silver coin sells for $264,000
- Lincoln double die obverse penny sells for $2,000
- Half cent sells for $3,383
- Rare nickel sells for $1,956 on eBay
- 1889 CC Morgan Silver dollar coin sells for $1,850
- Lincoln 1992 penny can be worth up to $25,000
- Standing Liberty quarter sells for $565
- Lincoln coin minted in 2020 sells for $525
It reportedly sold to the Greer Company of Los Angeles for $40,000 in 1959.
That’s the equivalent of roughly $433,800 today.
There is a version of the coin still in circulation today that has no auction record.
In recent years, one of the coins sold for $1million in 2018, and another in 2022.
The price of the coin can vary depending on what condition it is in, and this is one of the most counterfeit coins inn the US.
It is thought that in mint condition this coin could be worth anything from $950,424 to $2,414,612.
