Have you ever thought that a simple penny could be worth a small fortune?
It turns out that one rare penny in particular could be hiding in plain sight, and it’s worth up to $85,000! This special penny is known as the 1943 copper wheat penny, and it’s valuable due to a rare mistake made during production.
In 1943, during World War II, the U.S. needed more copper for wartime supplies, so the government decided to make pennies out of steel instead. Most pennies from that year were made with steel coated in zinc to save copper for the war effort.
However, by accident, a few copper blanks—thin copper disks ready to be stamped into coins—were left in the production machines. These copper blanks got stamped along with the steel ones, resulting in a very limited number of 1943 pennies made of copper instead of steel.
Because so few copper pennies were made in 1943, they are incredibly rare and valuable. In perfect or “mint” condition, one of these copper pennies could sell for as much as $85,000. Even pennies that aren’t in perfect shape can still be worth around $60,000. This makes the 1943 copper penny one of the most valuable coins in circulation.
However, because of its high value, counterfeit 1943 copper pennies are also common. Some fraudsters try to alter regular 1948 pennies to look like the rare 1943 version by modifying the “8” in 1948 to look like a “3.” Others take the steel 1943 pennies and coat them with copper to make them appear authentic.
Fortunately, there’s a simple way to check if a 1943 penny is real. Since copper isn’t magnetic, you can use a magnet to test the coin. If it sticks to the magnet, it’s a fake because a real 1943 copper penny won’t be attracted to a magnet. On the other hand, a 1943 steel penny coated with copper will stick to the magnet, revealing that it’s not genuine.
So, if you have a collection of old coins or come across a 1943 penny, take a closer look. You might just have a rare and valuable penny on your hands. A little inspection could reveal a hidden treasure worth tens of thousands of dollars!
