
Michigan: Check Your Change For This Penny Worth Millions
At this point, I think I'm going to become a coin collector because that's where the money is. By now, you all should know what we have going on here as we are going to be looking through our wallets, cars, couches, piggy banks, change purses, and other places for special coins. It amazes me that small mistakes can bring so much fortune to someone else, even here in Michigan.

For the first time in 2025, we're advising you to dive deep into those change drawers and look for something that could make you richer. We've seen all types of coins including dimes and quarters be valued at extreme amounts. This time were looking for a specific penny, but the stakes are so much higher this time.
Normally, we're looking for a coin that could make you a couple thousand dollars or six figures at most, this time, this lucky penny could bring you millions. There are several different pennies from different years that are worth large amounts of money, but none are as valuable as this one.
Most of the time this inflated value comes from a mistake that the US Mint made during their process. Other times it may just come down to the year of creation and the materials that were available. The very first pennies made by the US Mint back in 1792 were made with wheat.
Those wheat pennies started off with a woman with long flowing hair being a symbol of liberty before eventually graduating to having the President Abraham Lincoln printed on them. Pennies have had the Lincoln moniker since 1909 and from 1905-1958 had two sheaves of wheat printed on the back side.
These wheat pennies have seen their value skyrocket as the rarity of the coins has been broadly noticed. Of all the wheat pennies the 1943-D Lincoln Bronze Wheat Penny is the most sought after as one sold for $1.7 million in 2010 but is valued at $2.3 million in uncirculated mint condition.
There is belief that there is only one of these coins out there but that doesn't mean it's true. Even if you don't find this specific penny, other 1943 pennies are worth more than $100,000. Below is a list of other valuable pennies to look for:
- 1944-S Steel Wheat Penny — $1.1 million. Only two copies of the San Francisco-minted version of the penny remain. The 1944 coin missed the transition from steel-coated zinc to copper.
- 1793 Strawberry Leaf Cent — $862,500. In 2009, the Strawberry Leaf broke the record for the most money paid for a penny at an auction, selling for $862,000. The coin features a four-leaf strawberry plant on the tail of the coin instead of a three-leaf version. Only four of these coins exist.
- 1943-S Lincoln Cent Struck on Bronze — $282,000. These coins are some of the few bronze planchets, blank coins with no designs, printed in 1943. In 2016, one of these pennies sold at auction for $282,000.
- 1909 VDB Matte Proof Lincoln Penny — $258,000. These coins have square, sharp edged rims and details. What makes it really unique, however, is it bears the designer’s initials, VDB, on the bottom.
- 1958 Doubled Die Obverse Cent — $224,831. What sets this one apart? Another printing issue. Struck at the Philadelphia Mint, this coin has double lettering of the words “In God We Trust” and “Liberty.” The 1958 version has a date that is slightly doubled as well.
- 1856 Flying Eagle Cent — $172,500. More than 600 of these coins were given away at the time of its original minting but others were produced in 1858 to 1859.
- 1864 Indian Head Penny “L” on Ribbon — $161,000. The designer of this penny, James Longacre, slipped an “L” for his last name on the ribbon minted on these pennies in 1964. Even in less-than-mint condition, these pennies are worth around $40.
- 1914-D Lincoln Penny — $159,000. – The 1914-D is very rare with only 1.2 million printed.
- 1926-S Lincoln Penny — $149,500 – Another Lincoln wheat penny, these are popular among collectors. If you have a mint bright red 1926 S-Lincoln Penny, you could be in luck. One of those with its red surface intact sold for $149,500 in 2006.
Helpful Tips to Help You Save Money
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins
14 Items We Are Spending Too Much Money On
Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins
How To Protect Yourself And Your Money If You Win The Lottery
Gallery Credit: Traci Taylor
More From 102.5/104.9 The Block





