DALLAS (KRLD) - An old penny found in pocket change from a high school cafeteria is now going for big bucks.
Don Lutes Jr. was just 16 when he noticed a strange looking penny in the change he received from his high school cafeteria in 1947.
Lutes remembered the "steel" cents struck in 1943. So, this copper-colored coin piqued his interest. He held onto it all these years until his death in September.
Sarah Miller with Heritage Auctions says, "When copper was needed for bullets and wire to win World War II, a 1943 accident at the U.S. Mint created one of the most valuable coins in American history. That's when all U.S. cents were supposed to be made of zinc-coated steel to keep the war machine moving. Before the switch took place, a handful of cents were mistakenly minted in copper, making a 1943 Bronze Lincoln cent coin one of the most famous coins in U.S. history."
Our January 9 - 14 FUN US Coins Signature Auction is now closing soon! Head to our site to view the entire collection! https://t.co/jK6Ai8TisI#Coins #Numismatics #CoinAuction pic.twitter.com/K05pZOQ3nv
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January 4, 2019 Miller says there are only about 20 of these known in the world. It could sell for $200,000 or more at auction. Heritage Auctions will offer the cent during the Jan. 10-14 Florida United Numismatists Show in Orlando. The coin highlights Heritage's Platinum Night auction Thursday evening, Jan. 10 at the Orange County Convention Center.
Heritage Auctions is the largest fine art and collectibles auction house founded in the United States, and the world's largest collectibles auctioneer. They maintain offices in New York, Dallas, Beverly Hills, San Francisco, Chicago, Palm Beach, London, Paris, Geneva, Amsterdam and Hong Kong.
