In a small town in Ohio, a woman named Emily Sanders found something amazing. It wasn’t a big prize or a lot of money. It was just one penny—a Lincoln penny—that helped her start over after losing everything.
A Tough Time
Two years ago, Emily, who is 42, had a normal life. She had a job, a home, and a teenage daughter. But when the pandemic hurt her small catering business, everything fell apart. She lost her home, had no money, and sometimes slept in her car. “Some days, I could only afford one meal,” she told a news reporter. “I didn’t know how to keep going.”
Finding the Special Penny
One day, Emily was looking through a donation box for change to buy coffee. She found a penny that looked different. It was from 1943 and wasn’t copper—it looked silver. Curious, she took it to a coin shop. The shop owner was shocked when he saw it.
A Very Rare Coin
The penny was super rare. In 1943, most pennies were made of steel because copper was needed for World War II. But a few pennies were accidentally made of bronze. These coins are worth a lot—sometimes over $100,000! Emily’s penny was worth $72,000 because of its condition. She sold it at an auction with help from a coin collector.
A New Beginning
With the money, Emily paid her debts, got a new home for her and her daughter, and started her catering business again. “That penny was like a gift when I needed it most,” she said. “It gave me a future.” Her story spread online, and people called it a “modern miracle.” Many admire how strong she was.
Coin Collecting Gets Popular
Emily’s story made people excited about coin collecting. Now, many are checking their change for rare coins like:
- 1943 bronze pennies
- 1955 doubled-die pennies
- 1969-S doubled-die pennies
- 1992 close AM pennies
The U.S. Mint says only a few 1943 bronze pennies exist, making them very valuable.
A Sign of Hope
For Emily, the penny was more than money. It was a sign that things could get better. “I don’t think it was just luck,” she said. “Sometimes, small things show us there’s still hope.”