The San Francisco Mint struck this Lincoln cent back in 1926.
Workers made these coins out of standard bronze metal.
Collectors rank this piece at number 11 on the list of 200 top coin sales.
It is a regular issue penny rather than a special mint error or design variety.
Finding an ordinary 1926 penny from San Francisco is not terribly difficult for most coin hunters.
The real challenge comes from finding one that kept its original copper color over the decades.
Most pieces from this run ended up heavily worn or turned dark brown in everyday pocket change.
This particular coin crossed the auction block in 2006.
Heritage Auctions handled the sale of the piece.
The winning bidder paid $149,500 to take it home.
Professional coin graders certified the coin as MS-65 Red.
The MS stands for Mint State, which means nobody ever spent it in daily commerce.
A grade of 65 means the coin shows a strong strike and very few marks on the surface.
The Red label confirms that the surfaces still glow with bright, original copper luster.
A certified grade gives high-end buyers total confidence in the quality of the metal.
This piece holds the title of the most expensive non-variety Lincoln penny ever sold.
The San Francisco Mint produced just 4.55 million pennies in 1926.
That low production run started the scarcity, but poor storage made it far worse.
Virtually none of these pennies survived the decades in top mint condition.
An MS-65 Red grade represents the absolute ceiling for this specific issue.
No grading service has ever certified a 1926-S Lincoln cent in a higher grade.
This auction record has stood firm since the sale took place in 2006.
Serious Lincoln cent collectors compete fiercely whenever an unmatched survivor enters the market.
Start by checking the date on the front of the coin to confirm it reads 1926.
Look directly below the date under strong light to find the tiny S mint mark.
Use a basic magnifying glass or jeweler loupe to inspect the surface quality.
This coin is a true condition rarity where value depends almost entirely on surface color.
Examples with a Red-Brown color usually trade in a modest range from $9 up to $2,300.
The jump to a full Red designation at the MS-65 level puts the coin in a completely different price universe.
You can scan the coin with Coin Value Checker to get a quick first look at what you have.
Watch out for heavily cleaned coins that people try to pass off as natural red pieces.
Keep in mind that typical pocket change finds will not bring five-figure auction prices.
You will need an official evaluation from a top third-party grading service to verify full red color.
For an immediate ballpark figure, take a look at the free coin identifier apps tools we tested side by side.
Upload a photo and get an instant value, grade estimate, and error check — no jargon, no sign-up required.