The Lincoln Wheat Penny Valued at $200 Million, Still in Circulation

Often we ignore 1 cent coins considering them trivial, but some coins are so rare that their price can be more than gold. One such coin in America recently made headlines when it was found in a person’s deposits. The name of this coin is – 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent. This coin was sold for $ 2,04,000 after about 30 bids in January. This auction was conducted by a company named Heritage Auction.

This coin was with a person named Don Loots. When he was 16 years old, he got this coin in 1947 in change from his school cafeteria. He kept this coin safe till the last days of his life. After his death in 2018, he handed over this coin to Heritage Auction. The money received from this auction was donated to the Berkshire Athenaeum (Public Library) of his hometown Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

Coin related to history

According to Heritage coin expert David Stone, the history of one cent coins in America begins in 1792. At that time some prototypes were made, including the Birch Cent. The most expensive one cent coin ever sold is the 1792 Birch Cent, which was sold for about $2.6 million in 2015.

Although most one cent coins are worth only a few dollars, if a rare coin is in your pocket or hidden in your old boxes, it can make you a lakhpati or even a crorepati. Finding such coins is difficult, but not impossible.

Now we will tell you about four such special coins which are considered extremely valuable:

1.1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent

During World War II, America had a huge need for copper, so at that time the US Mint (government mint) started using steel instead of copper. All the coins of 1943 were made of steel, but by mistake some old copper (bronze) coins were also printed and they were brought into circulation without anyone knowing.

The number of these coins is between 15 to 20. That is, only this many coins are present in the world. Don Lutes’ coin was also one of these. This is the reason why it fetched such a high price in the auction.

It is a bit difficult to identify them, but the easy way is to check that coin with a magnet. If it sticks to the magnet, then it is made of steel and is not very valuable. But if it does not stick, then it may be made of bronze. A bronze coin in good condition can be sold for about 1.5 to 2 lakh dollars. Once such a coin was also sold privately for 1.7 million dollars.

2.1969-S Double Die Obverse (front side)

The special thing about this coin is that there was a mistake in its printing. When a die is used to print an image or word on a coin and it is printed twice, it is called a “double die”. This mistake is clearly visible in the words “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” in this coin made by the San Francisco Mint in 1969.

This coin is very rare. It is believed that only 1000 copies of it were made. If you have even one such copy and it is in good condition, then it can be worth up to $ 75,000. Last year, a similar coin was sold for $ 35,000.

3.1992 Close AM Reverse (back side)

Due to a mistake by the Mint in 1992, the A and M in the word “AMERICA” on the back side of some coins are printed very close together. Usually there is some distance between these two letters. This mistake happened when the die used for proof coins was used for normal coins.

It is believed that 2.5 lakh coins were made due to this mistake, which makes this coin a little less rare. Still, it can fetch a good price. If this coin is in new condition, then its price can be up to 20,000 dollars. If it is a little old, then it can sell for 2,000 to 3,000 dollars. In 2012, one such coin sold for more than 20,000 dollars.

4. 1972 Double Die Obverse

This coin is also similar to the 1969-S double die, but it has been in circulation a little more. Double letters are visible on this one too in “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST”. Some light doubling can also be seen on the date (1972).

The special thing about this coin is that this coin was issued in the number of 2.5 lakhs. This means that if you look carefully at the loose coins everyday, you can find this coin. An old used coin can be around $100 and a coin in good condition can be sold for up to $500.

Conclusion

So the next time you take loose money out of your pocket or take coins out of an old purse, piggy bank or drawer, take a close look once. Who knows, you too may have such a rare and precious coin that can change your fate.

The history of coins in America is very rich and interesting. Even a simple looking coin can be worth millions of dollars, provided it is rare. All you have to do is look carefully, stay informed and keep checking the coins from time to time. Who knows the next valuable discovery may be yours!

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