The Denver Mint struck this Lincoln cent back in 1974.
It is made from a traditional bronze alloy that weighs 3.1 grams.
You can spot these older pennies because they were made mostly of copper rather than modern zinc.
Collectors rank this issue at number 33 out of the top 200 valuable pennies.
Billions of these coins entered daily circulation across the country.
Most of them were spent on small purchases and quickly picked up heavy wear.
Finding one today with its original mint luster intact is not an easy task.
Heritage Auctions sold a premier example of this coin in November 2006.
The winning bidder paid $7,931 to take it home.
That price was set because the coin received an extraordinary grade of MS-67 Red.
The MS stands for Mint State, which means the coin never saw actual pocket change use.
A grade of 67 is near perfection on the standard 70-point coin scale.
The RD designation means the copper kept almost all of its bright, original red color without fading to brown.
Coins in this pristine state are certified by independent grading services to verify their condition.
The Denver facility produced more than 4.2 billion cents in 1974.
Because the original mintage was so huge, average circulated coins are only worth face value.
High prices for this date come purely down to condition rarity.
Heavy machinery struck these coins quickly and dumped them into massive storage bins.
That high-speed process left most coins covered in contact marks, nicks, and scratches right at the mint.
Copper also reacts quickly with moisture and air, which causes it to turn brown or develop spots over time.
Virtually none of those 4.2 billion coins survived without blemishes while keeping full red luster.
Lincoln cent registry collectors compete fiercely whenever a top-graded piece appears at public sale.
You can start by checking the date on the front right side of the coin.
Look directly below the date for a small D mint mark.
That letter shows the coin was made in Denver rather than Philadelphia.
Next, you should inspect the coin under good lighting using a 5x or 10x magnifying glass.
You want to look for sharp details on Lincoln's hair and the columns of the Lincoln Memorial on the back.
Check the fields for any tiny scratches, bag marks, carbon spots, or dull brown patches.
To reach a premium level, the surfaces must look nearly flawless to the naked eye.
If you are not sure what you have in your pocket change, you can use Coin Value Checker or CoinKnow on your phone to get a quick first opinion.
Keep in mind that your everyday pocket change will almost always show normal wear from circulation.
Only coins authenticated at top-tier grades like MS-67 RD ever bring thousands of dollars at auction.
A phone camera and a closer look at which free coin identifier apps actually works will get you most of the way there.
Upload a photo and get an instant value, grade estimate, and error check — no jargon, no sign-up required.