Check Your Change — A Lincoln Penny Worth $336,000 Might Be Sitting There

A Wartime Rarity
The 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent stands as one of the most famous error coins in U.S. history, created by a rare mistake during World War II.

The Mint’s Wartime Shift
During the war, the U.S. Mint replaced copper with zinc-coated steel for penny production to conserve copper for military use. However, a few leftover bronze planchets from 1942 were mistakenly fed into the presses.

An Accidental Creation
These bronze blanks produced a small number of 1943 cents struck in the wrong metal — a rare and unexpected outcome of the wartime minting process.

Public Discovery
When the first of these unusual coins appeared in circulation around 1947, they immediately drew national attention. News of the mysterious bronze pennies spread rapidly across the country.

Growing Fascination
Collectors and the general public were captivated by the story of the coin’s accidental birth, fueling a fascination that has endured for more than seventy years.

A Collector’s Treasure
For numismatists, the coin’s charm lies in its familiar Lincoln design combined with its warm bronze tone and the subtle signs of wear from years in circulation.

An Enduring Icon
The 1943 Bronze Lincoln Cent remains celebrated not just for its scarcity but for its place in American history — a small but powerful reminder of how wartime necessity led to one of the nation’s most remarkable minting errors.