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But before you go tossing your pennies out, take the time to inspect them closely.

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If you find the right one,it could be worth more than your car or house.

One of these pennies sold for $1.7 million in 2010.

Today, its valued at about $2.3 million in mint uncirculated condition.

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But you dont need to go back 80 years to findpennies worth a lot of money.

One from 1983 recently sold for a record $26,000 at auction.

The $26K Coin

That penny was a 1983 Lincoln Cent struck on a bronze planchet.

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It sold on July 28, following 49 bids,CoinWeekreported.

The final price included a $3,250 buyers fee, pushing the total purchase amount to $29,250.

As CoinWeek noted, this particular high-grade specimen was first discovered in 2006.

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Since then, only a handful have been found.

Theyre usually referred to as bronze by collectors because that was the traditional alloy used from 1909 to 1962.

This is what $26,000 coin should have been struck on.

This so-called transitional error can lead to high values for collectors lucky enough to come across one.

A second specimen (certified Genuine-Not Gradable) was discovered four years later.

A few more have been discovered since them, either rescued from penny rolls or found in pocket change.