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Before you put your old pennies in a jar, take a close look at them. To avid coin collectors they can be worth thousands of dollars – that’s a lot of money for pennies.
Furthermore, the last penny was minted at the US Mint in Philadelphia in November 2025. This dramatic currency shift has caused a stir in the numismatic community and can turn ordinary pennies into valuable collectibles. Here’s a closer look at how some of that money could be worth six figures.
wheat money
These pennies, which depict the image of Abraham Lincoln on one side and two stalks of wheat on the other, were minted from 1909 to 1958.
According to CoinCollecting.com, the cent was 95% copper until the war required copper in 1943 and the composition of the penny changed to zinc-coated steel for the year. Some errors were made in the steel coins, making them rare and valuable pennies.
double die pennies
Another rare penny is the “double die” penny. In January, a 1958 double die penny sold for a record $1.136 million through an auction conducted by GreatCollections Coin Auctions, the fastest-growing coin and paper money auction house in the U.S., Fox Business reports. Double die pennies are coins that have been struck twice by a metal die during the minting process.
Blake Alma, coin collector and founder of coin-collecting blog CoinHub in Lebanon, Ohio, told Fox News Digital that doubled die pennies may have doubled artwork and text that are a “minor deviation” or a “major structural anomaly.” Fox Business reported that many of these double die pennies are listed in the $1,000 and high $2,000 range on sites like eBay.
Finding these rare coins is usually left to chance, Alma said. He advised keeping a close eye on your coins to increase your chances of finding something rare.
rare but valuable
As CNBC Make It reports, the value of a penny depends on its quality and rarity. CNBC Make It reports that the 1943 bronzed Lincoln penny has been described as “the most famous error coin in American numismatics” and the odds of finding it are not in your favor. One that has been delivered may sell for $150,000 to $200,000, but prices can fluctuate significantly.