The 1943 Lincoln Head Copper Penny

Another coin you could discover stashed within a drawer is the 1943 Lincoln Head Copper Penny, which is intriguing and valuable due to the circumstances surrounding its manufacturing.

While pennies were traditionally made of copper and nickel, the United States required the metals for war activities, so the mint began utilizing steel. However, 1943 Lincoln Head Copper Penny struck a batch of copper pennies by accident, possibly because blanks remained in the press when the mint began producing new steel coins. Experts believe there are roughly 40 of these pennies left, however some claim there are just about 20.

Because it's very easy to cover steel pennies with copper and change the date on coins issued in 1945, 1948, and 1949, the US Mint believes these coins are often counterfeited. You may check if the coin is steel by seeing if it clings to a magnet. In a recent auction, a variant of this coin sold for $1.75 million in 2010.

Price: $1.75 million