YOU may want to check your change because a coin collector has just shared how these five pennies start at over $10,000.
Earlier this year the coin collector and TikToker Blake Alma posted a penny series on his TikTok page.
Blake is known to his TikTok community as Coinhub and has a trove of knowledge on coins and what makes them rare.
He’s known for sharing information about all types of pennies, nickels, and even dollar bills.
Within the penny series, he breaks down exactly what makes each one so rare and valuable.
We sifted through his page and found the top five pennies, all worth over $10,000.
1. The 1943 bronze Lincoln cent – $204,000
Pennies were supposed to be made out of steel but this one was made from bronze adding thousands to its value.
These pennies were made when bronze and copper were being used less in order to fill metal shortages during World War II.
For the time, the Treasury Department authorized the U.S. Mint to strike all 1943 Lincoln cents on zinc-coated steel planchets, rather than the copper blanks.
Collectors will pay top dollar for these like this one that sold for $204,000 at a Florida auction back in 2019.
It sold from Heritage Auctions and is one of the most famous error coins in American numismatics.
Professional Coin Grading Services estimates that no more than 10 to 15 examples in all grades are left in exsistance.
2. The 1914 D Lincoln cent – $158,625
In another TikTok, he shared a rare penny from 1914 that was minted in Denver.
Because of its low mintage, a little less than 1.2million, these pennies can be worth around the $100 to $200 range.
In fact, USA Coin Book reported that if found in average condition, these pennies can be worth $285.
However, if found in mint condition like this one, it can be worth thousands.
3. The 1972 Lincoln cent – $14,400
The 1972 penny was struck by three different U.S. Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco.
The pennies from Philadelphia feature no mint mark though.
Featured on the reverse, the memorial design honors the 150th anniversary of Lincoln’s birth and was struck from 1959 to 2008.
This particular penny sold for over $14,000 due to its doubled die error.
The double die error is when there is a duplication of design elements.
This typically occurs when a coin is not properly manufactured.
The doubling on this particular coin is severe and can be easily spotted in the letters, IN GOD WE TRUST and LIBERTY.
4. The 1926 S Lincoln cent – $149,500
This particular penny was minted in San Francisco with over 4.5million minted.
Due to its high grade, MS65, it sold from Heritage Auctions for over $149,000.
These Lincoln pennies are known as Wheat cents or “Wheaties” and were first minted in 1909.
Then President Theodore Roosevelt made the decision to engrave former President Lincoln on the obverse and enlisted the artist Victor David Brenner.
The coin gets its name from the reverse side, where two stalks of wheat are featured.
5. The 1944 steel cent – $373,750
Similar to the bronze cent, this rare penny was made from another material, this time steel.
Just about every penny from 1944 was supposed to have transitioned from steel back to copper or bronze.
However, a few zinc-coated steel planchets were left over from 1943 and then used in 1944 during the transition to steel planchets.
This small error added huge value as it sold for over $373,000 at an auction back in 2008.
A rare Lincoln penny with missing detail sells for $2,437 – do you have one in your spare change?
