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Million Dollar Penny: Rare 1943 Lincoln Penny Purchased For $1 Million

Posted: September 21, 2012

million dollar penny

How much is a penny worth? If its a rare 1943 Lincoln penny that was accidentally made from bronze instead of zinc-coated steel … well, then it’s worth about $1 million.

According to the Professional Coin Grading Service, only a few pennies were erroneously made of bronze instead of steel in 1943 at the San Francisco Mint. Only four are known to exist today.

UPI reports that the million dollar penny was purchased by Bob Simpson, the co-chairman of the Texas Rangers. The million dollar penny was purchased from Legend Numismatics in Lincroft, New Jersey.

Simpson, as you may have guessed, has quite an extensive coin collection. PCGS President Don Willis said that Simpson has some of the rarest coins ever created at the Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver mints.

“The Simpson collection now contains the finest known bronze cent from each mint, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Denver, including the unique 1943-D bronze cent that PCGS certified after Legend acquired and sold to him for a record $1.7 million in 2010.”

Legend President Laura Sperber added:

“Mr. Simpson said, ‘It’s a beautiful coin.’ As he held it he reminisced about the 1943 ‘copper’ Lincoln cent he found in change when he was a youngster, but that turned out to be a fake.”

Surprisingly, Simpson’s most recent purchase is not the most expensive penny that he owns. In 2010, Simpson purchased another rare 1943 Lincoln for $1.7 million.

Pennies aren’t the only coins to see their value skyrocket. A dime was recently purchased for $1.6 million at auction.



Comments


11 Archived Responses to “ Million Dollar Penny: Rare 1943 Lincoln Penny Purchased For $1 Million ”

  1. Doris Anne Beaulieu
    Sep 22, 2012

    I have a 1943 D penny light in weigh.

  2. Ski Nunofursb
    Sep 27, 2012

    so do I.

  3. Randy Wills
    Sep 27, 2012

    Now if the Federal governemtn could only re-issue 17 million of these pennies we could pay off the deficit.

  4. Michie Kaleiwahea
    Sep 27, 2012

    Is it just that year "1943" does anyone knows for sure, because I've read several different sites and most state they started making those pennies the beginning of WW2 in "1940" but none of those sites say anything about the rest with that same design and everything else. Because I've collected those ones for yrs & I have several from1940 to the mid 50's. So does anyone knows if its just the 1943 ones that r collectable and worth anything, I know that yr is the most rare but how can u tell which metal's was used to make those. Anyone out there knows the answers to my questions please hit me up. Much Mahalo, FBI, Hawaii.

  5. Rath My
    Oct 2, 2012

    I have a 1920 D penny light in weigh but its not in a mint conditions…letters picture are fading out. One time I brought it to the jewelry and coins collections store to get it check out and see how much it worth and the guy told me its worth only 69 cents but I rather keep it because it is a piece of history….I also got other ones, 1954, 1956 but they too not in mint conditions and its a D penny light weight. got them all from changes when I go shopping :)

  6. Jesus Avila
    Oct 23, 2012

    I have the 1943 penny

  7. Salman Akhtar Ibrahim
    Oct 30, 2012

    يوجد لدي سنت أيضاً للبيع بنصف مليون دولار فقط.

  8. Salman Akhtar Ibrahim
    Oct 30, 2012

    كما يوجد لدي ريال عربي سعودي ضرب بمكة عام 1370 هجري للبيع أيضاً بنصف مليون فقط وشكرا.

  9. Salman Akhtar Ibrahim
    Oct 30, 2012

    هذا رقمي للتواصل 00919930891220.

  10. Aaron Malone
    Feb 21, 2013

    I have silver 1943 penny

  11. Drew Kodrun-D'amboise
    Mar 20, 2013

    I'm guessing your joking right?