Find a Wheat Penny in Missouri? It Could Be Worth 200,000 Bucks

When I was a kid, my dad started me collecting coins and stamps. I wish I had stuck with that as there is a wheat penny you could potentially find in Missouri that could be worth thousands - maybe even up to 200,000 bucks.

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Go Banking Rates shared an interesting article about several wheat pennies that have skyrocketed in value. What is a wheat penny you ask? Merriam-Webster defines it as a coin that was minted in the United States between 1909 and 1958. There's a Lincoln head on one side and wheat stalks on the other.

What wheat pennies are rare?

SD Bullion lists a number of wheat pennies you need to look out for if you collect in Missouri:

1944 Steel wheat penny - Valued between $77,000 and $100,000 depending on condition. Only 30 are known to exist where steel remained in machines from previous years before copper was reinstated after the war.

1943 Copper wheat penny - Steel was used in pennies due to copper being needed for the war effort, but a few got minted with copper and they're worth between $60,000 and $80,000 if graded in mint condition.

What about the wheat penny worth $200,000?

One wheat penny sold for over $200,000 and it was the 1943 Lincoln Cent (Wheat Reverse) AU58.

What's the most valuable wheat penny in existence?

SD Bullion says it's the 1943-D Bronze Wheat Penny MS64BN which sold for $800,000 in 2021. Wow.

Coin Collecting has even more wheat pennies to look out for that are valued at up to $2,000,000 if you happen upon the right one.

Yes, my dad was right again. I should have stuck with coin collecting. (*sigh*)