A woman was planting flowers in her garden in Pennsylvania earlier this year, and she came across what the thought was a bicentennial quarter. Actually, what she found was a 1793 copper “chain” cent. According to the Professional Coin Grading Service’s Price Guide, the coin could be valued in the thousands of dollars even in only “good” condition and hundreds of thousands of dollars is graded higher.
Below is an example of a reverse side of a 1793 chain cent. The coin that was found in Pennsylvania was heavily corroded and is currently undergoing restoration in a manner that won’t damage the coin further. Chances are you won’t find this coin in the “wild” in better condition, and there’s no chance of finding this coin in circulation.
It never hurts to keep your eyes open when working in the ground. You could uncover some interesting things, and who knows, maybe you’ll make some money.
Woman Gardening Finds Rare Penny [6 ABC Action News]
Updated September 30, 2007 and originally published August 7, 2007. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
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Luke Landes founded Consumerism Commentary in 2003 and has been building online communities since 1990. Luke, also known as Flexo, has contributed to PC World Magazine, US News, Forbes, and other publications. 
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I got in here through JLPs blog… talking bout luck in here… I sure am thinking of digging our backyard ;)