Some auction houses offer free evaluations. If you think you've found a valuable penny, Stone suggests consulting a professional. If you think you've found a 1943 Bronze Lincoln, the Mint suggests testing it with a magnet first. Heritage auctioned a similar one - in slightly lower grade - for $186,000 earlier this month," he said.ĭue to its value, some counterfeits were created with steel cores. "A nice circulated example, like Lutes' coin, could sell for around $150,000 to $200,000. Stone estimates that 15 to 20 are known to collectors today, although it's possible that there are a few that have not yet been accounted for.
Today, the 1943 bronze Lincoln cent is described as "the most famous error coin in American numismatics" - and the odds of finding one are astronomically against. "The few bronze coins that were struck went unnoticed and got released into circulation." At least, that's what was supposed to happen.Īs fate would have it, "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," he said. Mint switched to making pennies from zinc-coated steel planchets, instead of the usual bronze coin blanks, Stone explained. In order to preserve copper for the war effort, the U.S.
"The most valuable Lincoln cent sold privately in 2010 for $1.7 million," said Stone. Only a handful of these bronze pennies have been discovered, including the one found by Lutes.
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