A boy finds a $200,000 USD coin and keeps it his whole life without ever discovering its true value
As kids, we often fantasize about finding buried treasure that will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams. As adults, we still dream of becoming rich, but in less fantastical ways. If you're like anyone else, you've probably at least tried your chances with the lottery or the occasional scratch-off. Sometimes we go searching for fortune when, in reality, it was right under our noses the whole time. In Don Lutes Jr's case, his fortune had been waiting for him in the form of a 1943 penny. And he lived out his entire life without ever knowing it.
via Artnet
Not much is known about how Lutes came into possession of the penny. Many believe he just randomly came across it, perhaps after recieving change from the lunch lady at school. For a 16 year old, Lutes was pretty astute and believed that the penny was worth something. He immediately took it to be appraised, but did not receive the news he was hoping for. According to the appraiser, the penny was valueless and wasn't worth trying to sell.
A pity, because today that coin was sold by his heirs, for $204,000 USD to Heritage Auctions and Lutes, despite having kept it for his entire life, he never knew the actual value of the penny. Therefore, unfortunately, the man, who has now passed away, never obtained the money that would have been due to him.
CORRECTION: In a previous version, we had declared that the coin was worth 1 million USD, but now the figure has been corrected.
