A 1999 Penny In Your Change Jar Could Be Worth Up To $4500

Normally when you're looking for rare coins, it's usually the older ones. Some 1943 and 1944 pennies can be incredibly valuable. From tens of thousands on up to the millions. But most people don't have old coin collections they can dig through looking for treasure. Fortunately there's a 1999 penny out there that may not make you rich, but it could pay a couple months of your rent or mortgage. Unless you live in Naples, then it's just one month.

I want to get right to the point, but this story is too weird not to tell. When I took this job in Fort Myers, Florida I got a desk and an office. And for some reason, I inherited a penny collection. Really, have a look at this desk drawer.

There were some other coins mixed in there, too, dimes, nickels, and a couple of quarters,  but I already used those to buy Ms. Vickie's Jalapeno chips from the vending machine. I'd never really thought much else of the 'collection' until today because there were no really old coins. Just loose change.

None of the pennies in the drawer were older than mid 1980's or so. But, that's when I came across the 1999 penny error. It's called the "wide A-M error" because the A and the M in America are spaced apart instead of close together. Here's what to look for. First up, dig through all your pennies looking for the ones from 1999. Now look for the ones that have no mint mark. As in, they don't have a letter under the date next to Abraham Lincoln. I found 5 of them.

One of them is pretty ugly, but I figured I'd check it anyway. Condition means everything. As worn out as the penny on the bottom left is, if it had the error it'd still be worth money. But not as much as top left. Look at the shine! Time to flip the coins over and see what (if anything) I have.

So we're looking for the space between the A and the M in America. And it looks like none of mine have it. Bummer. Even that beat up one could have been worth a few hundred dollars. The shiny one a whole lot more. If you can find one that's uncirculated, the best condition, there's the $4,500 dollar penny. In the video, here's what a "wide A-M error" penny looks like.

Who else is ready to leave work early and head into a long weekend?

We are one week away from the biggest holiday of the summer, the one that celebrates our nation's independence. It's more likely than not that your celebration will involve food and cooking out. For TikTok Tuesday I rounded up some videos showing the best burgers for 4th of July grilling. People who like to grill, love to give tips. And let's face it, there are lots of home cooks who could use a few tips.

On the surface, burgers seem so simple. But it is an art to cook them just right. There is also an art to selecting and seasoning the beef. Some people mix ingredients such as onions and bacon inside of the beef rather than putting it on top after it has cooked. Then there are the best ways to form the patties. So-called smash burgers are all the rage right now so I have a recipe featuring some of those as well. As you can see, this simple grilled meat can take many twists and turns before it hits your plate.

Even if you are accomplished at cooking and or grilling, sometimes it's nice to get new ideas. My social media feeds have been full of grill tips and juicy burgers. So I gathered the top five videos that showed up last night and put them here. You don't need to have a TikTok account to watch these. Simply scroll down and hit the little arrow to play from this site. Also, if chicken is on your grilling radar this holiday rather than burgers. I've got something for you as well. Check out these recipes.

Finally, here are the top five best burgers for 4th of July grilling and TikTok Tuesday. Enjoy.

They are all the rage on social media...smash burgers are lots of fun.
https://www.tiktok.com/@britscookin/video/7223480847620508971?_r=1&_t=8d6cITFIbp0

Sometimes, beef patties alone aren't quite enough.

Bacon isn't just for topping. Put it in the beef before cooking. See more here.

Seriously. This looks bad and oh so good at the same time. If you try it, let me know how it is. Wow.

So this guy has won a few competitions and has a little secret to share. Never thought of doing this...