Rare Lincoln Wheat Penny Worth $120,000 May Still Be Circulating in Pocket Change!

Imagine finding a penny that could pay for a brand-new car—or even a house deposit. That’s the buzz among coin collectors after reports surfaced that a rare Lincoln Wheat Penny worth up to $120,000 may still be circulating in everyday pocket change.

What Is the Lincoln Wheat Penny?

The Lincoln Wheat Penny was first minted in 1909 and features President Abraham Lincoln on the front and wheat stalks on the back. These coins were produced until 1958, after which the design changed to feature the Lincoln Memorial.

While most wheat pennies are worth only a few cents more than face value, a few extremely rare versions are highly valuable to collectors.

The Penny That Could Be Worth $120,000

The rare penny in question is the 1943 bronze Lincoln Wheat Penny.

In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. Mint decided to make pennies using steel coated with zinc instead of the usual bronze (which is made from copper). This was done to save copper for the war effort.

However, by mistake, a few bronze planchets (metal blanks) were left in the coin presses, and a handful of 1943 pennies were accidentally struck in bronze instead of steel.

Only a few dozen of these 1943 bronze pennies are known to exist. One of them sold at auction for around $120,000, and others have gone for tens of thousands of dollars, depending on their condition.

How to Tell If You Have the Rare Penny

Here are some quick checks to help you spot a 1943 bronze penny:

• Magnet Test: A genuine 1943 steel penny will stick to a magnet. A bronze one won’t.
• Color: Steel pennies appear gray or silver, while bronze ones look brownish or reddish like other copper pennies.
• Date: The penny must have the year 1943 clearly printed.
• Weight: A bronze penny weighs about 3.11 grams, while a steel one weighs 2.7 grams. A coin scale can help here.

But even if your coin passes all these checks, it’s important to get it professionally verified by a coin expert or a grading company like PCGS or NGC.

Why Are These Coins Still in Circulation?

It might sound surprising, but some of these rare coins could still be out there. Many people don’t know the value of old pennies, and a rare coin might easily go unnoticed, especially if it’s been sitting in a jar or piggy bank for years.

That’s why coin collectors and hobbyists are urging everyone to check their spare change, especially older coins.

Other Valuable Wheat Pennies to Look For

Apart from the 1943 bronze penny, here are a few other valuable Lincoln Wheat Pennies:

• 1909-S VDB: Worth $500 to $2,000 or more, this is one of the most sought-after pennies.
• 1914-D: A key date in the series, worth several hundred dollars.
• 1955 Doubled Die: Features visible doubling in the words on the front—can fetch over $1,000.

Final Tip: Don’t Dismiss Old Pennies

With rising interest in rare coins and numismatics (the study and collection of coins), even a humble penny could hide a small fortune.

So the next time you get change from a store or sort through an old coin jar, keep an eye out for 1943 pennies, especially if they look different. Who knows? You might be holding something worth far more than just one cent.