Have you ever tried to find this special penny? Coins are all around us, and sometimes they can be worth a lot more than what they seem. Lately, there have been reports saying that this particular coin is actually worth a lot of money!
A perfect 1943 copper wheat penny could be worth over $85,000, as reported by Coin Trackers, the New York Post, KHOU, and Daily Mail UK! KHOU talked to Royal Coin and Jewelry, a rare coin dealer in Houston, and found out that in 1943, pennies were actually made of steel and coated with zinc to stop them from rusting. Coin Week mentions that since copper was needed for World War II, all the pennies made that year were supposed to be made from zinc-coated steel. CHECK OUT THE VIDEO BELOW.
At some point during that year, a few copper blanks accidentally got mixed into the minting process. These “error” coins are now being sold for really high prices, sometimes in the five or six figures! To be worth around $85,000, the 1943 copper wheat pennies need to be in perfect condition. Even if they aren’t in great shape, they still sell for about $60,000 on average, according to Coin Tracker. Saul Teichman, a specialist in U.S. Mint mistakes, explains that collectors are the ones pushing the prices up.
1943 copper pennies are really popular among collectors. When it comes to how much they’re worth, these pennies sell for a lot more than other mistakes made during that time. Even though there are other World War II coins that are harder to find than the 1943 copper or 1944 steel pennies, they don’t sell for as much because they don’t have that same special appeal.
Coin collectors should be careful about fake 1943 copper wheat pennies, according to media reports.
With all the buzz around these pennies, there are a lot of counterfeit versions out there. Coin Trackers mentioned that some scammers will shave down the left side of the number 8 on a 1948 copper penny to trick people into thinking it’s a 1943 penny. Others might take a regular steel penny and cover it with copper to make it look authentic. If you think a penny might be fake, Coin Trackers suggests using a magnet to check it.
According to the Daily Mail UK, a pure copper penny won’t stick to a magnet, but a steel penny that has a layer of copper on it will. So, why not check your coin collection? You might find one of the coolest lucky pennies! Don’t forget to share this with your friends and family!
Source: Homehacks