Did you know that some coins, hiding in plain sight, could be worth far more than their face value? Right now, the 1943 copper wheat penny is one of those coins causing a stir in the collector world. It’s no ordinary penny – if you happen to find one in mint condition, you could be looking at a whopping $85,000 or more!

This penny’s story goes back to 1943, when the United States needed every bit of copper for World War II efforts. So, according to Coin Trackers and experts at the New York Post, KHOU, and Daily Mail UK, pennies that year were made from steel and coated with zinc to prevent rust. As Coin Week explains, “Because copper was needed for purposes relating to World War II, all 1943 cents were planned to be struck on zinc-coated steel planchets.”

But in a rare twist, a few copper blanks slipped into the mix by mistake, and that’s what makes these pennies so special – they’re the “mistake coins” collectors are after. These unique 1943 copper wheat pennies now sell for jaw-dropping amounts, especially if they’re still in mint condition. Coin Trackers notes that while the top price for mint-condition pennies is around $85,000, even pennies in lesser condition still fetch an impressive $60,000.

Saul Teichman, a U.S. Mint error expert, sheds light on why these coins are so sought after. “1943 copper cents have a special cachet with collectors,” he says. “As for market value, the 1943 cents sell for much more than other errors struck around the same time.” He explains that, despite other World War II coin errors being even rarer than these copper pennies, the 1943 copper cents carry a certain “cachet,” or appeal, that makes them so valuable.

But with popularity comes risk – fraudsters have been trying to cash in by creating fake versions of this penny. According to Coin Trackers, some counterfeiters shave down the number 8 on a 1948 penny to make it look like it’s from 1943. Others try to pass off steel pennies with a copper coating as the real deal. Worried about a fake?

There’s a simple test: if the penny sticks to a magnet, it’s likely a fraud. As Daily Mail UK explains, “A solid copper penny will not stick to a magnet, while a steel penny with copper plating will.”

So, go check your coin collection – you might just be sitting on a small fortune! And don’t forget to share this with friends and family; who knows, maybe someone you know has a lucky penny just waiting to be discovered.

What do you think? Could you have a fortune hiding in your piggy bank? Let us know in the comments below!