No this isn’t about ‘penny stocks‘.
Investing in various streams of income is the best way to gain your financial freedom, unfortunately, the old adage, “it takes money to make money” is usually spot on. While there are various ways to raise capital to finance your business today we are going to talk about going from pennies to millions…LITERALLY.
Right now as you’re reading this there is a possibility that the spare change in your pocket, couch cushion, sock drawer, car or wherever you keep it, could be the answer to all your money problems. That’s right, your CHANGE could CHANGE your life. More specifically, the pennies that most people neglect on a daily basis could be more valuable than anything else you own.
After reading a few articles and doing a little research I came across a list of the Top 15 Most Valuable Pennies and figured I’d share some insights with you. All coins on this list will have a link that you can click on to get more information straight from the auction site. Speaking of works cited, all of the pictures and information here came from Heritage Auctions, PSGS, TheSpruceCrafts.com.
Although there are several pennies still in circulation that may be worth more than the 1 cent you think they are, this list is focused on pennies that can net you some truly life-changing change. Okay, that’s the last pun. Right now, I assume you’re eager to find out if you have one (or more if you’re really lucky) of these valuable pennies lying around. So here we go. Here’s the list of The Most Valuable Pennies In America. In no particular order.
1914-S Lincoln Penny

Value: $105,800
Grade: PCGS MS-66 Red
Sold: August 2006; Bowers & Merena, Anne Kate Collection Part II
1944-D Lincoln Penny on a Zinc-Coated Steel Planchet

Value: $115,000
Grade: NGC MS-63Sold: August 2007; Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee, WI, ANA Signature Coin Auction
1909-S VDB Lincoln Penny

Value: $117,500
Grade: PCGS MS-67 Red
Sold: March 2014; Heritage Auctions, Atlanta, GA, ANA National Money Show US Coins Signature Auction
1872 Indian Head Penny

Grade: PCGS MS-67 Red
Sold: August 2007; Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee, WI, ANA Signature Coin Auction
1969-S Lincoln Penny–Doubled Die Obverse

Value: $126,500
Grade: PCGS MS-64 Red
Sold: January 2008; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Coin Auction
1926-S Lincoln Penny

Value: $149,500
Grade: PCGS MS-65 Red
Sold: January 2006; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction
1877 Indian Head Penny

Value: $149,500
Grade: PCGS MS-66 Red
Sold: August 2007; Heritage Auctions, Milwaukee, WI, ANA Signature Coin Auction
1914-D Lincoln Penny

Value: $152,750
Grade: PCGS MS-66+ Red
Sold: August 2017; Heritage Auctions, Denver, CO, ANA U.S. Coins Signature Auction
1864 Indian Head Penny–”L” on Ribbon

Value: $161,000
Grade: PCGS PR-65 Red & Brown
Sold: October 2011; Heritage Auctions, Pittsburgh, PA, Signature Auction
1943 Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze Alloy

Value: $164,500
Grade: PCGS MS-63 Red
Sold: January 2013; Stack’s Bowers Galleries, Americana Auction
1856 Flying Eagle Cent

Value: $172,500
Grade: PCGS MS-66
Sold: January 2004; Heritage Auctions, Orlando, FL, FUN Signature Auction
1909 VDB Matte Proof Lincoln Penny

Value: $258,500.00
Grade: PCGS PR-67 Red & Brown
Sold: August 2014; Heritage Auctions, Chicago, IL, ANA US Coins Signature Auction
1943-S Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze

Value: $282,000
Grade: PCGS AU-58
Sold: February 2016; Heritage Auctions, Long Beach, CA, US Coins Signature Auction
1944-S Lincoln Steel Penny

Value: $373,750.00
Grade: NGC MS-66
Sold: August 2008; Heritage Auctions, Baltimore, MD, ANA US Coin Signature Auction
1943-D Lincoln Bronze Cent

Value: $1,700,000
Grade: PCGS MS-64BN
Sold: September 2010; Legend Numismatics, Private Sale
Rare Coin Authentication
Rare Coin Auctions
- https://www.legendauctions.com/
- https://coins.ha.com/
- https://www.pcgs.com/regencyauction
- https://www.ebth.com/categories/3115-coins-and-currency-auctions
Penny For Your Thoughts
There you have it. Fifteen of the most valuable pennies to date. Do you have one of them? Most likely the answer is no, but don’t let that stop you from double or triple checking. It’s definitely worth a shot.
Even if you don’t find a six-figure penny there are lots of two and three-figure pennies out there that could help you get you where you need to be financially.
Imagine telling the story of how a single penny helped you pay your bills or start your own business. In addition to searching your belongings, there’s also ‘coin-roll hunting’. This is a strategy where you go to different banks and sift through coin rolls in the hopes of finding a big payday!
It’s kind of like buying scratch-off lottery tickets, but better because you don’t actually lose any money. Now, go dump out that big plastic or glass container you have all your change in. Happy hunting!