The U.S. Mint began producing pennies in 1792, with Philadelphia hosting the first Mint before locations expanded to Denver, San Francisco, and West Point.
Since 1909, Abraham Lincoln has been on the obverse of the penny, honoring his 100th birthday, while the reverse changed multiple times, last to the Union Shield.
In the late 90s and early 2000s, a rare error occurred when three pennies were mistakenly struck with the reverse planchet of a Roosevelt dime instead of the correct one.
This minting error, called a "mule," is incredibly rare, with only about 20 known examples across various coins, making them highly valuable to collectors.
A 1999 Lincoln Cent with this error sold for $138,000 in 2006, while two 2001 D Lincoln Cents sold for $114,000 and $96,000 in 2021 and 2023, respectively.
Finding one of these rare pennies in circulation today is unlikely but possible, making it essential to check spare change and have potential finds evaluated.
Some other Lincoln pennies, like one worth $336,000 or another that sold for $500,000, remain in circulation, adding excitement for collectors and coin hunters.