South Dakota, Check Your Pockets for this $300,000 Penny

Mistakes can sometimes be considered a good thing, at least when it comes to coin collecting. And if you happen to have a penny in your couch cushion with this easy-to-miss error, you could be $300,000 richer.

Coin collectors from every end of South Dakota would do just about anything to find this unique and valuable penny from the 1940s.

What makes this penny so special? Well, it's not what's on it, but rather what it's made of.

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The valuable penny that you should keep an eye out for was released in 1943, and the reason it's worth so much money has to do with World War Two.

Steel pennies were made for only one year in 1943, during World War II, due to a copper shortage. However, it is worth noting that in 1944, the U.S. Mint resumed using copper to produce pennies, but a few steel pennies were accidentally struck with a 1944 date and today are considered rare collector's items.

-Government Mint Website

That's right, it's a penny made of steel, which is extremely rare. Just how rare is it? Well, according to the U.S. Government Mint, while steel pennies are not exceedingly rare, the 1943 double-die penny is and could be worth a fortune if you happen to find one.

The price range varies, but some of these pennies have sold at auction for over $300,000. You can see a list of exactly what to look for in these 1943 pennies on the Paris Land Museum Website.

Story Sources: U.S. Government Mint Website, Paris Land Museum Website