Say goodbye to the penny. United States mints has retired the one 1 cent piece.
The government says it now costs 3 cents to make a penny, and that’s a losing proposition for taxpayers. So the penny, which has been made in American mints for 230 years, will soon be just a memory.
RELATED: Check out more stories on faith and culture from Ken Lass.
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As you might expect, now that no new pennies are being made, the value of the rare ones is going to explode. I had a penny collection as a child, and I was curious as to which ones are currently the most valuable. It’s no contest. The most precious of all pennies is a 1943 D Lincoln Wheat Cent. It is worth – hold on to your seat – $2.4 million!
The reason it is so valuable is because there is believed to be only one still in existence. In 1943 pennies were changed over to steel, but a few copper cents endured from that year. Now only one remains. Some collectors believe there must be others out there, but to date none has appeared.
There have been many forgeries over the years; scammers have coated their 1943 1 cent pieces with copper in an attempt to fool brokers and make a fortune. But the phonies are easy to test and spot. The original stands alone, virtually worshipped by collectors all over the world. Occasionally it comes up at auctions, and the bidding is astronomical.
One of a kind
It reminds me of the way Jesus stands alone as Lord and Savior of humanity. He is one of a kind. There have been many forgeries and imitators over history, but all are exposed and discredited. The Son of God endures, and is rightfully worshipped by His people.
In the second chapter of 1 Timothy it is written: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
The great news is that, unlike the 1943 D Lincoln Wheat Penny, Jesus is available to everyone, and a relationship with Him doesn’t cost you a penny (pun intended). Walking with Him leads to eternal life.
You can’t put a price on that.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
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