The U.S. Mint has officially stopped producing pennies, and that ending is already changing how collectors think about the coins hiding in your junk drawer. Experts say the real boom may not hit until around 2050 — but a few rare varieties, like the 1943 Steel Penny and the Indian Head, are already worth serious money. Now's a good time to check what you've got before it ends up in the trash with the $68 million Americans toss every year.

The U.S. Mint has officially stopped producing pennies, and that ending is already changing how collectors think about the coins hiding in your junk drawer. Experts say the real boom may not hit until around 2050 — but a few rare varieties, like the 1943 Steel Penny and the Indian Head, are already worth serious money. Now's a good time to check what you've got before it ends up in the trash with the $68 million Americans toss every year.

Reproductions of Medieval and Renaissance Coins in metal, historically accurate.