We've all heard the phrase "that's worth a pretty penny", but how many of us have asked how much a pretty penny is worth. Often times, we fall for the age-old ideology that money is over worth it's face value, which couldn't be more wrong. In fact, many of the bills and coins circulating are Earth are worth more than it's intended and face value.

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I've come to learn that the process to making money in America is just like anything else in the world, there are human errors. There are several US Mint locations across the country that are used to circulate new and old currency to keep track of everything, unfortunately, nothing in our world can be perfect.

The good thing about the US Mint making a mistake is that it normally comes with some added value. We have seen many different coins and dollar bills be sold for thousands of dollars after mistakes were discovered. Recently, another mistake came up on the radar and residents from Michigan have a chance to inflate their wallets.

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There is a penny from 1982 that is currently being sold for upwards of $15,000 all over the United States. JM Bullion reports:

  • Date: The first and most obvious thing to check is the date stamped on the penny. If it’s not a 1982 penny, then it’s time to move on.

  • Font size: The font size of the desired penny will be smaller than the large print on other copper pennies. The way to tell the difference is to look at the “82” portion of the date stamp. Large date pennies have two equal loops for their 8s, and the diagonals on their 2s are straight. By contrast, small date pennies have noticeably smaller upper loops on their 8s, and the diagonals on their 2s are curved.

  • Mint mark: Once you’ve confirmed the date and font size, you should look for the mint mark. The letter you want to see is a D, signifying that the Denver Mint is the origin of the coin. Any penny missing the D mark is a product of the Philadelphia mint, and although – as we mentioned – these pennies can be quite valuable in their own right, they are not the rarest versions.

  • Weight: Finally, you have to confirm that your small date penny is not one of the copper-clad zinc pennies. Unfortunately, the only way to do that is to use a scale, as copper is heavier than zinc. So, the weight you want to see is 3.11 grams. By contrast, zinc-heavy pennies will weigh only 2.5 grams.

The penny is question was made in 1982 in Denver and is made with copper rather before they ran into a supply issue had to start making pennies using Zinc. That small change in the material, among some other features created a very sought after coin.

Take some time to look in your piggy bank, check the change drawer in your car, go looking under car seats, inside of couches, and under beds as this penny could be lying anywhere. If you're lucky enough to find one of these infamous pennies and a buyer, you could be at least $15,000 richer.

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Gallery Credit: Billy Jenkins