The Most Valuable Pennies Of All Time

What It’s Worth: $185,000, but sold for $1 million to Bob R. Simpson, co-chairman of the Texas Rangers, in 2012.

Why It’s Worth So Much: Created at the San Francisco Mint, this was a happy accident for collectors. In 1943, pennies were made from steel planchets coated with zinc, but some copper planchets from the year before were left behind, and the coins were struck on those. Some believe it was a mistake, while others think someone created the coins deliberately. Either way, there are only five known copper pennies from that year, making this coin the “holy grail” of pennies for collectors.

What It’s Worth: $75,000 to $110,000

Why It’s Worth So Much: Copper was added to the penny in 1944; the alloy also incorporated recycled ammunition shells. About two billion one-cent coins were made that year, but, as with the 1943 Copper Lincoln Wheat Penny, the 1944 Steel Wheat Penny was created when some steel planchets were left in the machines at the US Mint. There are about 30 of these coins in existence today.

What It’s Worth: One Michigan collector, Michael Tremonti, found one in a roll of uncirculated pennies. He later sold it for $126,500.

Why It’s Worth So Much: Sometimes, if the die used to stamp a coin with an image aren’t correctly aligned, images or letters appear “doubled” on the coin. Such is the story of the 1969-S Doubled Die Penny. The coins – of which there are about 40 or 50 in existence – are quite valuable.

What It’s Worth: Up to $82,500

Why It’s Worth So Much: Much like the 1943-S Copper Wheat Penny, minus the mint mark, the 1943 Copper Wheat Penny is also quite valuable. It came about in much the same way as the 1943-S, via some leftover copper in the mint’s machines. Only about 40 coins are said to exist, which means finding one of these is like finding a needle in a haystack. There are also a lot of counterfeit coins from this year out there, which are created by manipulating the dates or coating steel pennies with copper.

What It’s Worth: $6,500 and up

Why It’s Worth So Much: Only 700 Flying Eagle pennies were initially produced, and they were never really in circulation. The first batch was given to members of Congress and other political influencers of the day as a trial run for the newly designed penny. The new coin was a hit, and 3,000 more Flying Eagles were made. No matter their condition, they are highly valuable.

What It’s Worth: $367 to $3,000 and up

Why It’s Worth So Much: The 1877 Indian Head Penny, unlike most other pennies on this list, wasn’t made in error in any way. The reason why it’s so valuable is because there weren’t that many made to begin with – a little over 850,000 coins were minted in 1877. Compared to the year before, when 7.9 million pennies were created, and the year after, when 5.9 million coins were made, that’s a minimal amount.

What It’s Worth: $20 to $10,000 and up

Why It’s Worth So Much: An 1873 Indian Head Penny is generally worth between $20 and $450, but if your 1873 penny has a doubled die mistake on the word “Liberty” in the Indian’s headband, you’ve got a winner on your hands. The coin was created when the US Mint over-doubled their output that year. The “closed 3” version of the coin refers to the serifs used on the “3” digit in 1873, which are close enough to the digit’s middle to make it appear to be an “8.” This is much rarer than the “open 3” version of the coin.

What It’s Worth: $900 to $28,000 and up

Why It’s Worth So Much:  Because the Denver Mint was the only mint producing pennies in 1922, this coin should have a “D” mint mark. However, some do not have any mark at all due to an overworked coin die, while others only have weak, almost imperceptible strikes. It’s unclear how many still exist, but if you can find a 1922 penny without any “D” mark whatsoever, you are sure to get top dollar for it.

What It’s Worth: $700 and up. In a 2006 auction, one sold for $50,000.

Why It’s Worth So Much: This is an example of another doubled die mistake from an unaligned die. It is believed that this error was created during an overnight shift, and mint employees did not notice the mistake until thousands of the coins had already entered circulation. They decided to allow the rest of the batch to circulate, as well. This coin is notable for the obvious doubling of the year and lettering, which is clear without magnification. Nearly 24,000 error pennies went out into the world in a batch of 10 million overall. Eventually, they found their way into cigarette vending machines in Massachusetts and New York. About 15,000 of these pennies are said to exist today, and they are a popular collectible in any condition.

What It’s Worth: $22 to $344 and up

Why It’s Worth So Much: This penny is much the same as the earlier, pricier 1873 Doubled Die Indian Head Penny, but there is one difference: The serifs at the ends of the “3” in 1873 do not come as close to the middle of the digit as the “closed” version produced earlier in the year. The “open 3” penny is much more common than the “closed 3” and is subsequently worth much less.