The Lincoln Wheat Penny That Could Be Worth $30 Million
Imagine finding a penny in your pocket that turns out to be worth millions. Sounds unbelievable, right? But it’s true. A rare version of the 1943 Lincoln Wheat Penny, made from bronze instead of steel, has sold for more than $500,000 at auction—and some experts believe one could be worth up to $30 million today. Even more exciting? A few of these rare coins might still be out there in coin jars, bank rolls, or everyday pocket change.
A Look Back: The Lincoln Wheat Penny
The Lincoln Wheat Penny was first made in 1909 to honor President Abraham Lincoln’s 100th birthday. It was the first U.S. coin to feature a real person. The front of the coin shows Lincoln’s face, while the back has two wheat stalks, representing America’s farming roots. This design stayed in use until 1958, when it was replaced with the Lincoln Memorial version.
A Mistake That Made History
In 1943, the U.S. needed copper for World War II. So, pennies that year were made from zinc-coated steel, giving them a silver-gray look. But by accident, a few 1943 pennies were made using leftover bronze blanks from 1942. This minting mistake created about 20 bronze 1943 pennies, making them some of the rarest coins ever made in the U.S.
How to Spot a 1943 Bronze Penny
Want to know if your 1943 penny is one of the rare ones? Here’s what to check:
- Color: A rare bronze penny will look reddish-brown or copper, not silver-gray.
- Magnet Test: Steel pennies stick to a magnet. Bronze ones do not.
- Weight: Bronze pennies weigh about 3.11 grams, while steel ones weigh less—around 2.7 grams.
If your penny passes all three tests, you could be holding a fortune.
Why You Need a Professional to Check It
Before getting too excited, have your coin authenticated by experts. Two trusted grading services are:
- Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)
- Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC)
They’ll examine your coin, confirm if it’s real, and give it a grade that helps decide its value. Many fakes are out there, so expert verification is a must.
Where Can You Sell It?
If your coin is real, there are a few great ways to sell it:
- Auction Houses like Heritage Auctions or Stack’s Bowers
- Private collectors who love rare coins
- Trusted coin dealers with connections to serious buyers
Just remember: auction houses charge fees, so you may not keep the full selling price.
Other Rare Coins That Are Worth Big Money
The 1943 bronze penny isn’t the only error coin that’s valuable. Keep an eye out for:
- 1955 Double Die Penny – doubling in the date and letters
- 1999 Wide AM Penny – wider space between the “A” and “M” in “AMERICA”
- 2000 Sacagawea Dollar (Reverse of 1999) – features the wrong reverse design
These coins prove even a small error can be worth big money.
You Might Still Find One
What makes this so exciting is that more 1943 bronze pennies could still be out there. They might be sitting in an old coin jar, inside a forgotten bank roll, or even in your pocket right now. That’s why checking your change carefully can be like a mini treasure hunt—because you never know what you might find.
