If you live in New York, check your pennies. According to this ABC report, there are some valuable ones in circulation:

Outside the Nasdaq offices in New York City, Travers dispersed the first of three coins — all pennies — at a food vending stand just this week: a 1914-D Lincoln cent valued at $300.

On Tuesday Travers will spend two more pennies — a 1908-S Indian Head cent and a 1909-S VDB Lincoln Head cent valued respectively at $200 and $1,000 apiece.

So how do you know if you’ve got the lucky penny worth $1,000? Travers says, “On the front of the coin is the year 1909, and under the year is the mint mark “S,” meaning it was minted in San Francisco. On the reverse of the coin are the designer’s initials — V.D.B. (Victor David Brenner).”

While I have never found anything of that value, I have found several coins in Japan that I received as change that ended up being worth $10 – $20. When I was in high school and working a retail job, I once received a roll of pennies that were all the 1943 steel pennies – I figured they were worth more than a penny each, so I took out a couple of quarters from my pocket of my own money and kept the roll. I still have it packed away somewhere.

Finding little treasures like that is always great fun…