This Ordinary Penny Could Be Worth Up to $85,000 — and How to Tell If You Have One

Most people treat pennies as pocket change, dropping them into jars, drawers, or between couch cushions without a second thought. Because they are so common, it’s easy to assume they hold little value. Yet history has shown that certain everyday coins can become highly sought after, not because they were meant to be special, but because something unexpected happened during their creation.

Coin collecting often revolves around small details—materials, timing, and rare production errors. In some cases, changes made during significant historical moments resulted in coins that stand apart from the rest. These unusual pieces were not intentionally created for collectors, but their rarity and story have made them valuable decades later.