In a twist of events that sounds more like a scene from a movie than real life, a seemingly worthless penny discovered lodged in an old drawer handle has turned into a national talking point.
The humble coin, unearthed by a retired schoolteacher in Pennsylvania, is now making waves across the country—not for its monetary value alone, but for the extraordinary story behind its discovery.
A Stuck Drawer, A Surprising Find
It all began when 72-year-old Ellen Markey was struggling with a jammed drawer in her late grandmother’s century-old oak cabinet. “The handle wouldn’t budge,” Ellen said in an interview with local media. “I thought maybe something had fallen inside and blocked it, so I took a closer look.”
As she dismantled the handle, a dusty coin dropped out—a penny, dull and aged, seemingly nothing special. But curiosity got the better of her. She gave it a quick wipe and noticed something odd about the date and mint mark. That’s when she decided to have it examined.
Not Just Any Penny
Experts later confirmed that the coin is a 1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny, a rare error coin minted during World War II. While most pennies from 1943 were made of steel coated with zinc due to copper shortages, a few bronze planchets mistakenly made their way into the production line. These error coins are some of the rarest and most valuable in the world of numismatics.
In fact, only around 15 to 20 genuine 1943 bronze pennies are known to exist. Depending on condition and provenance, such coins can fetch anywhere between $100,000 to over $1 million at auction. Ellen’s find, while still undergoing full verification and grading, appears to be in remarkably good shape.
National Attention Builds
What began as a local oddity quickly snowballed into national coverage. News outlets picked up the story, with coin collectors and historians alike weighing in. Some pointed out the incredible odds of such a rare coin sitting hidden for decades in an everyday piece of furniture. Others shared their own stories of coin finds in old books, jars, and couch cushions, igniting a broader interest in coin collecting and historical artifacts.
“This story reminds people that history can literally be right under your nose,” said James Whitman, a numismatics expert based in New York. “Many of these rare coins weren’t collected because people didn’t know what to look for. They slipped into circulation or ended up in forgotten corners of drawers just like this one.”
Could It Happen Again?
The buzz around Ellen’s penny has also sparked a kind of national treasure hunt. Social media is full of users showing off their own penny finds, hoping to stumble upon something similar. While the chances of another 1943 bronze penny turning up are slim, coin experts agree that rare finds are still out there.
Collectors advise checking old change jars, piggy banks, and especially inherited items from past generations. Some of the most valuable coins are hidden in plain sight—disguised as ordinary loose change.
Also Read:- Nickel Found Inside Thermos Is Now the Talk of the Coin Community
A Quiet Life Interrupted
For Ellen Markey, the attention has been unexpected. “I never thought a stuck drawer would bring reporters to my doorstep,” she laughed. “If anything, it’s taught me to look more closely at the little things.”
The rare penny is currently in the hands of a major grading service for official authentication, and auction houses have already expressed interest. Whether Ellen decides to sell or keep the coin remains uncertain, but one thing’s for sure—the story of the “drawer penny” has captured America’s imagination.
