Top 10 Most Valuable Blue Pennies – Some Worth Up to $78 Million!

The coins in my pocket rarely commands attention anymore. Like most Americans, I’ve developed the habit of tossing spare change into jars, cup holders, or between couch cushions without a second glance. But after a chance encounter with veteran coin collector Martin Weiss at a local flea market, I’ve never looked at pennies the same way again particularly those with unusual blue coloration.

“Most people don’t even know they could be working with retirement funds,” Weiss said to me as he looked at a tray of what appeared to be everyday cents. He picked up a 1943 steel penny that had a pale blue color to it. “This little gem? Worth around seventy-five dollars in this condition.”

My adventure into the intriguing realm of blue-colored pennies uncovered unexpected tales of wartime exigency, chemical reactions, and minting mistakes that have produced some of numismatics’ most coveted treasures.

The following are the top 10 blue pennies that may be lurking in your loose change, piggy bank, or grandfather’s vintage collection.

1. The 1943 Steel Cent: America’s Original Blue Penny

Value Range: $5 – $1,000+

Arguably the most well-known “blue penny” isn’t an error in the strictest sense. Copper was in high demand for war-related use in World War II, so the U.S. Mint produced 1943 pennies with zinc-coated steel instead. The unique coins, commonly referred to as “steelies,” are silvery-looking when new but take on a characteristic blue color over time.

“The steel cent was a patriotic sacrifice,” said numismatist Claire Rodriguez, whose collection features a number of mint-condition examples. “Each penny conserved enough copper to produce bullet casings for the soldiers. That history makes them special apart from their odd appearance.”

Although circulated specimens are still relatively plentiful and inexpensive ($5-15), uncirculated specimens with complete original luster can be worth $50-100. Error versions, such as the celebrated off-center strikes, can sell for several hundred dollars.

What makes these truly valuable is their condition. James Rothstein, who’s been dealing coins in Chicago for three decades, showed me one encapsulated in a grading service holder. “This one’s MS-67—nearly perfect. The last one like it sold for $950 at auction. Not bad for a penny, right?”

2. The 1943 Copper Penny: The Blue Penny’s Coveted Cousin

Value Range: $100,000 – $1,500,000

Though not blue itself, the 1943 copper penny is the opposite side of the steel cent tale. When the Mint made the change to steel, some copper planchets (blank discs awaiting striking) allegedly were left in the presses and produced what are perhaps the most well-known error coins in US history.

Imagine them as the blue steel siblings,” historian Meredith Chang said. “They are really rare—only around 20 authenticated samples have been seen at all three mints combined.”

Their rarity has bred astronomically high values, with one sample selling in 2010 for $1.7 million. Unfortunately, that value has also led to millions of replicas, usually by copper-plating legitimate steel cents or doctoring dates on 1945-48 copper cents.

The fastest test is a magnet,” Rothstein cautioned. “A genuine copper 1943 won’t adhere. But authenticating by an expert is a must before jumping for joy.”

3. Toned Lincoln Memorial Cents: Nature’s Blue Artwork

Value Range: $5 – $500

Not every valuable blue penny was the product of production modifications or mistakes. Some of the most stunning and most valuable blue cents are the product of natural toning processes. When copper reacts with sulfur compounds over time, the patina that forms can create stunning blue, purple, and rainbow colors.

“It’s basically controlled corrosion,” said metallurgist Sandra Parks. “The same process that makes copper roofs green can produce beautiful color patterns on cents if the conditions are right.”

Though there are artificially toned coins, naturally toned examples especially those with bright blues rimmed around the Lincoln Memorial on the back have gained a loyal following. Coins with evenly toned, appealing patterns may command 10-50 times their face value from toned coin collectors.

The most valuable specimens are cents held for decades in their original mint bags or Whitman albums, where mild chemical reactions formed stable, pleasing patterns. “They’re all one of a kind, like fingerprints,” said Parks. “That’s what makes them so compulsive to collect.”

4. The 1949 “Blue Sac” Penny Error

Value Range: $1,000 – $7,500

Among the most exotic blue pennies is a dramatic San Francisco Mint error coin. During the making of 1949-S cents, something remarkable occurred: a limited supply of coins was given a random bluish coating unlike anything occurring previously or after.

“The working theory is contaminated planchets,” said error coin expert Thomas Greene. “Something in the preparation of the metal introduced elements that gave the coins this unique blue-gray color.”

Numismatist researcher Jessica Warren proposes another theory: “Documentation implies an experimental anticorrosive treatment may have been tried out on a small run. Regardless of the cause, these coins immediately stand out from regular ’49 pennies.”

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Authenticated pieces in higher grades, with fewer than 200 examples thought to exist, have had their prices skyrocket over the last decade. One particularly colorfully preserved one sold for $7,200 at a 2023 Heritage auction.

5. Blue-Spot Lincoln Cents: Chemical Curiosities

Value Range: $5 – $200

Sometimes the most intriguing numismatic discoveries occur in ordinary mishaps. Lincoln cents exhibiting obvious blue spots or patches frequently result from the coin’s reaction with chemicals or impurities within its surroundings.

“I’ve seen spectacular examples that sat near cleaning products in cash registers,” said collector Marcus Johnson, who specializes in error and variety coins. “The copper and zinc in modern pennies react dramatically with certain chemicals, creating electric blue spots that can’t be replicated.”

Whereas the majority of spotting devalues a coin, more particularly colored or unique patterns have found their own collector base. Johnson introduced me to a 1987 cent with a nearly flawless blue circle in Lincoln’s portrait. “Paid $85 for this one. It doesn’t have any value in the classic sense, but for variety collectors, these anomalies are special.”

6. The 1969-S Doubled Die Cent with Blue Toning

Value Range: $25,000 – $150,000

The 1969-S Doubled The Obverse cent is already considered one of the most valuable Lincoln Memorial cents, with fewer than 100 verified examples in existence. But examples showing natural blue toning are the holy grail for many collectors.

“It’s the perfect storm,” said auction specialist Eleanor Martinez. “You have rarity from the doubling error, and then there is aesthetic value from the toning. When those two combine, prices move into an entirely different stratosphere.”

Doubling is most visible in the date and the words “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” words. When accompanied by beautiful blue toning, these already-scarce coins can fetch high premiums over their toneless counterparts.

A blue-toned example graded MS-64 by PCGS sold in 2022 for $126,500—about 40% higher than similarly graded toned-less examples had been selling for.

7. Blue-Tint Steel Cents from Canada (1943-1944)

Value Range: $10 – $500

America was not alone in rolling steel cents during World War II. Our northern ally Canada rolled steel pennies in 1943 and 1944, and these tend to develop an even bluer color than their American counterparts. “Canadian coinage had a different plating process,” said international coin expert David Yeung. “Their scents tend to turn a richer, more even blue coloration that some collectors prefer over the American versions.”

While overall less expensive than American steel cents, mint condition with strong blue coloration has gained more popularity from American collectors to complete their steel cent collections with their international equivalents.

“I have customers create complete sets of rainbow-hued collections made of differently colored steel cents from both nations,” said dealer Elizabeth Chen. “The Canadian blues are usually at the center of these sets.”

8. Chemically-Induced Blue Errors: Laboratory Curiosities

Value Range: $20 – $1,000

Many of the bluest pennies came about as the result of unforeseen chemical exposure during the coin minting. Records indicate that in a number of cases, planchets touched cleaning compounds or other chemicals at the mint, resulting in characteristic blue pigments that altered small quantities of coins.

“These aren’t actually die or striking process errors,” explained error coin authority Jason Williams. “But they are interesting manufacturing events that produced one-time results.”

There are records of such events happening in 1958, 1964, and 1972, but total numbers involved are unknown. The most renowned happened at the Denver mint in 1972, when a number of thousands of cents were bathed in a cleaning solution that produced an electric-blue sheen.

“The ’72-D chemical blues are immediately recognizable,” said Williams. “They have an almost neon quality that no natural toning could produce.”

9. Blue-Toned Indian Head Cents (1859-1909)

Value Range: $50 – $5,000+

While we’ve focused primarily on Lincoln cents, their predecessors Indian Head pennies often develop some of the most spectacular blue toning patterns of any American coins.

“The slightly variant copper alloy used for Indian cents appears especially conducive to the formation of blues and purples,” said veteran dealer Frank Wilson. “When these older coins were kept in cabinets lined with velvet or some cardboard folder types, magnificent color patterns would form over decades.”

These “album-toned” Indian cents, especially those dated during the 19th century, are very sought after by collectors who like them toned. The contrast of copper-red fields to blue-to-purple devices makes these coins very pleasing to the eyes and better than usual numismatic considerations.

Wilson displayed an 1899 Indian cent with rich blue toning that was focused in the portrait and date areas. “Twenty years ago, this would have brought $30. Now, the right collector would happily pay $400 for this quality of art.”

10. Modern Plating Errors: Blue Zinc Exposures

Value Range: $5 – $100

With most U.S. cents since 1982 produced on zinc planchets covered in a thin copper plating, when such plating is lacking or degraded, the inner zinc core of the coin comes into view—and when this oxidizes, often resulting in those bluish-white patterns.

“Such plating mishaps are fairly typical,” observed error specialist Sophia James. “But examples with pleasing designs or heavy blue coloring have formed their own following.”

Most precious specimens produce dramatic, even exposures that create two-tone effects on Lincoln’s portrait. Especially striking specimens, where the blue-white zinc exposure produces an artistic contrast with the copper, sell for $50-100 to experts.

“I look for ones where Lincoln’s face is copper but his hair or the field behind him is that blue zinc,” explained James. “When the error creates an aesthetically pleasing effect, it transforms from a defect into art.”

Hunting for Blue Treasures – Top 10 Blue Pennies Coins value

After spending time with these collectors and seeing their blue-penny treasures, I’ve developed a new appreciation for the coins jangling in my pocket.

While discovering a six-figure rarity is still unlikely, the chance that a fascinating blue-colored coin could be lurking in plain sight makes something as dull as draining my change jar exciting.

As Martin Weiss cautioned when I first met him: “Verify your steel cents for perfect blue toning. Examine memorial cents for natural blue patinas in the areas surrounding the building. And do not clean anything—that lovely blue is sometimes more valuable than one hundred times the coin’s value.”

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Whether motivated by history, scientific interest, or merely their strange beauty, blue pennies are a captivating specialty in American numismatics—one perhaps within reach of anyone with loose change and a discerning eye.

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