Glass Penny Auctions for Over Double its Value at Heritage Auctions’ FUN Show

During WWII, when copper was a metal needed for the war, the United States Mint began experimenting with other materials from which to make the penny. Plastic, rubber, and glass were among the tested materials before the mint settled on zinc-coated steel as a temporary alternative.

Though glass never succeeded in becoming a practical alternative, the experimental process left two examples of the penny struck on glass. One of the two is now broken in half, but the other recently sold for $70,500, over double its projected $30,000 projected value, at Heritage Auctions’ FUN show in Fort Lauderdale, FL on Friday, Jan. 6, 2017. This glass penny is struck on tempered, transparent amber glass from Kingsport, Tennessee’s Blue Ridge Glass Company.

According to CoinWeek, two bidders, one on location, and one on the phone, raised one another’s bids on this extremely rare coin until the phone bidder, an American collector, won the war at $70,500. The glass penny was one among many special sales for the Heritage Auctions series, which pulled in a combined $65 million during this particular week.

Coin collecting can be a fun hobby or a lucrative investment opportunity. If you are interested in starting, growing, or selling your personal coin collection, ONR coins is a reputable, fair dealer that aims to make your collection as profitable as possible. Whether you want to buy coins from us, sell coins to us, or have your collection appraised, you will receive fair prices and honest assessments.  Contact ONR today at 1-844-ONR-COIN. We look forward to building a business relationship with you.