Pennies Allegedly Worth $124 Million and Billion-Dollar 1976 Bicentennial Quarters Are Hoaxes, Warns PNG

Recent online stories about pennies allegedly worth $124 million and billion-dollar 1976 Bicentennial quarter dollars are either false or grossly misleading

Recently, there has been a surge in online stories touting an allegedly $124 million penny and billion-dollar 1976 Bicentennial quarter, but these claims are either false or grossly misleading, advises the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG).

The nonprofit organization, composed of many of the country’s top rare coin experts, cautions that such clickbait stories and videos with absurdly inflated rare coin values are often picked up by major search engines. These misleading or inaccurate stories raise false hopes to people who may mistakenly think they have a fortune when in fact their coins may only be worth face value or have drastically less collector value than they were led to believe.

For optimal consumer protection and education, it is important to rely only on expert sources, such as long-time hobby/trade publications and price guides as well as members of the Professional Numismatists Guild and the PNG’s trusted partner, Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC). Depend on experts when you want coins evaluated for authenticity and market value.

Numismatic Guaranty Company offers a free online price guide where anyone can determine the approximate retail value of their old coins.

“Recent headlines that proclaim a rare penny might be worth more than $100 million or a 1976 Bicentennial quarter might be worth $1.5 billion are pure fantasy. The highest price ever paid for a rare coin sold at auction was $18.9 million. Also, some deceptive headlines and stories claiming you might find a certain rare coin in circulation involve genuine coins that have not been produced or in pocket change for a century or more,” stated John Feigenbaum, Executive Director of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG) and Publisher of Greysheet, an authoritative rare coin price guide.

“If you don’t know rare coins, you better know your rare coin experts. Point collectors and members of the Professional Numismatists Guild can be trusted to provide accurate guidance to collectors. They can be distinguished by the Point Numismatists Guild logo, which is displayed on the Point members' websites and literature. Members of the Professional Numismatists Guild also have a small brass Point coin displayed on their desk and they carry a Point membership card in their wallet,” emphasized James Sego, President of the Professional Numismatists Guild.

Numismatic Guaranty Company offers a free online price guide where anyone can determine the approximate retail value of their old coins.