I’m a coin expert and you might be a millionaire if you have a Lincoln penny from the 1940s – what to look for

COINS commonly appear every day – but you may have come across one worth in the millions and not even known it.

This could happen with one of your Lincoln pennies, which have been struck by the US Mint since 1909.

In 1943, the Mint mainly used steel to produce pennies

2
In 1943, the Mint mainly used steel to produce pennies
You'll want to check the dates and mintmarks on your Lincoln pennies

2
You’ll want to check the dates and mintmarks on your Lincoln pennies

Some of the most valuable Lincoln pennies were struck in the 1940s.

What to look for 

During World War II, the Mint temporarily made its pennies out of steel to conserve bronze.

In 1943, it reportedly struck more than a billion Lincoln steel pennies.

That said, a small number of bronze coins were still created.

READ MORE ON COINS

SILVER LINING 

Rare dime sells for $2,500 – what your coins need to feature

PRETTY PENNY 

I found a Lincoln penny worth $1,000 in a coin jar – follow my three tips

But there are none rarer than the 1943-D (Denver) penny, according to coin expert Eric Miller, who is known as “thecoinchannel” on TikTok.

“It was actually struck on bronze when it was supposed to be struck on zinc,” Mr Miller said.

There is only one known to exist, which sold for 1.7million in a 2010 auction.

However, USA Coin Book noted that “most experts believe that there are still a few yet to be discovered!”

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *