TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Before you toss your change into the abyss, you might want to take an extra look at it. Tossing certain coins could cost you a pretty penny.
Cointrackers listed the top 25 most valuable pennies ever minted in the United States. The coins’ value is based on when they were issued into circulation and some of them are worth thousands of dollars.
The most valuable penny is the 1944 Steel Penny, worth $408,000 in mint condition. In average condition, the penny is worth $10,000, according to the site.
Cointrackers said there were just a few of the 1944 Steel Pennies ever minted and they all would have been released by error into the coin supply. If the coin is real, it should stick to a magnet.
The second most valuable penny is the 1943 Copper Penny. In mint condition, the penny could be valued at around $250,000. In average condition, it’s worth $60,047, Cointrackers said.
The 1943 Copper Penny was also released in error. During that year, Cointrackers said the pennies minted were supposed to be steel or war pennies.
Here’s a list of the top 10 most valuable pennies, according to Cointrackers:
1.1944 Steel Wheat Penny –$408,000
2. 1943 Copper Wheat Penny –$250,000
3.1856 Flying Eagle Penny –$25,000
4.1873 Indian Head Penny –$10,000
5.1858 Flying Eagle Penny –$10,000
6.1857 Flying Eagle Penny –$7,000
7.1914 D Wheat Penny –$5,500
8.1922 D Wheat Penny –$5,000
9.1909 S VDB Wheat Penny –$4,150
10.1877 Indian Head Penny –$3,200
FAQs
A 1958-dated Lincoln cent mistakenly made with doubling in some letters of the design has sold for a record $1,136,250. It was owned by a New York City collector who died soon after consigning his pristine condition coins to be sold at auction. He spent his life procuring the absolute best-of-the-best Lincoln cents...
What penny is worth $250,000? ›
2) 1943 Copper Wheat Penny - $250,000.
How can I find out how much a penny is worth? ›
While most pennies are worth just one cent, certain years can dramatically increase their value. Penny collectors, also known as numismatists, value pennies based on their minting year, rarity, condition, and production errors.
What penny is worth $300000? ›
in 1943 copper penny. If that's real, it's worth over $300,000. Let me show you.
Which penny is worth $50000? ›
The 1959-D wheat penny is one of the most controversial mule coins ever. It's worth $50,000!
Which 1999 penny is worth money? ›
It's from 1999 and could be worth $4,500 thanks to a little-known error on it. What you want to look for is a 1999 penny with no mint mark, which means no letter under the year on the heads side. As for the tails side, that's where you have to look closely.
What makes a 1983 penny worth so much? ›
The U.S. made about 7.7 billion pennies in 1983, but only about 5,000 of them are known to have been made with this doubling error, James McCartney, director of numismatics at Stack's Bowers Galleries, tells CNBC Make It. The rarity of these misprinted pennies are what make them more valuable than ordinary pennies.
What makes a 1963 D penny rare? ›
The second toughest Lincoln cent in MS66 Red after 1930, is the 1962-D and with the 1973-S being the third toughest in MS66 grades. Most 1963-D Lincoln cents are found with nicks, specks, spots and scratches. They are also very weakly struck and are very dull and lack luster in their appearance.
What penny sold for $2.5 million? ›
One of the rarest pennies cost a Beverly Hills man a pretty penny. At an auction last Thursday, Kevin Lipton shelled out $2,585,000 for the Birch Cent, a penny made in 1792 that is named after its engraver, Robert Birch. It's the most money ever paid for a one-cent piece.
What 1983 penny is worth $15000 today? ›
There's a rare 1983 copper penny (a 1983-D penny) worth $15,000 -- you could find one in your pocket change! Here's what to look for + Other rare copper pennies.
Mint used different dies to produce coins for general circulation and also produced special “proof” coins for collectors. But because of a mix-up at the Mint in 1992, a proof die was used for the reverse of the Lincoln penny a year before it was supposed to be used.
Which 1982 D penny is rare? ›
The 1982 Small Date Denver Mint 2.5 grams coin is a rare variety of the Lincoln cent. Its value can vary based on its condition and the current numismatic market.
What year penny is rare? ›
According to Cointrackers.com, certain pennies that were minted in 1944 and 1943 top the list of the 25 most valuable pennies for coin collectors in 2024. The 1944 Steel Wheat penny could be worth as much as $408,000 in mint condition, and up to $10,000 in average condition, the site said.
Is there an app to scan pennies for value? ›
CoinSnap is a powerful mobile application that utilizes AI-driven image recognition technology to accurately identify any coin within seconds! The identification process is relatively straightforward.
What makes a 1958 penny rare? ›
The Lincoln penny was produced for many years, and is still being produced to this day. With that being said, there are a number of different types of Lincoln pennies that have been produced over the years. The 1958 Lincoln is especially valuable because it was the last year the Wheat Penny design was used.
What penny is worth over $1 million? ›
A 1958 penny just sold for over one million dollars. The penny, which had a mistake shown on some of its letters, sold for a record $1,136,250.
What penny is worth 1.7 million dollars? ›
coin- a bronze Lincoln cent- was sold for such a huge amount because currently, only a handful of these exist. So far, 15 to 20 bronze Lincoln cents have been discovered. The most expensive sold for $1.7 million.
How much is $1000000 pennies? ›
A million pennies equal $10,000. There are 100 pennies, or cents, in each US dollar. To find out how many dollars you could make with 1 million pennies, divide 1 million (the number of pennies you have) by 100 (the number of pennies in one dollar). One million pennies equals 10,000, or ten thousand, dollars.
