Author: Stack's Bowers Galleries / December 12, 2025

Set #232 Breaks Record for the Most Valuable Modern U.S. Numismatic Item at $800,000

The very last circulating pennies, or “cents,” sold for over $16.76 million in a special auction byStack’s Bowers Galleries on Thursday, December 12^th, presented on behalf of the United States Mint. Included in the sale were 232 three-coin sets featuring one each of the 2025 penny struck at the Philadelphia Mint, the 2025-D penny struck at the Denver Mint, and a historic 2025 penny struck in 24 karat gold also at the Philadelphia Mint. Each of these special coins exhibits a small “Ω” privy mark of the final Greek letter Omega, indicating their role as the capstone to a two-centuries long legacy that first began in 1793 with the Chain Cent.

After a slightly delayed start due to unprecedented levels of collector interest, the sale was underway with tremendous excitement stretching across nearly four hours of competitive bidding. Set #1, presented in the first lot of the sale, soared to an incredible price of $200,000 and established this as a landmark offering for the category’s most elite collectors. The top price of the session was realized by Set #232, which sold for $800,000 as the last lot, and included the very last circulating penny intended for issuance struck at Philadelphia and Denver, along with the final Omega penny in gold. Also included in the lot were the three sets of canceled dies used to strike this historic series. With this $800,000 result, set #232 now ranks as the most valuable modern U.S. numismatic item, surpassing the prior record of $550,000 also set by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in their sale of Space Flown 24 Karat Gold Sacagawea dollars in September 2025.  The overall sale total of more than $16.76 million represents an average lot value of over $72,000 for each three-coin set, amounting to nearly 80 times the total combined gold melt value of around $210,000 at the time of the sale. In total, 17 lots each sold for more than $100,000.

This $16.76 million sale is now the highest value auction of special coins sold on behalf of the United States Mint, more than doubling the historic $7.5 million result of the 1933 Saint Gaudens double eagle sold by Stack’s Bowers Galleries in 2002 (in partnership with Sotheby’s). It also ranks among the most valuable single-owner auction sessions held by the firm across their 90-year history as America’s oldest rare coin auctioneer.

“It’s an extraordinary honor to again be selected to partner with the United States Mint to offer exciting numismatic rarities to the collecting public,” noted Stack’s Bowers Galleries President Brian Kendrella. “They captured the public imagination like few rare coins we’ve ever handled. Even our staff of expert numismatists, who see the world’s most famous and valuable rare coins day in and day out, were excited by the chance to handle the very last pennies struck before the suspension of circulating production.”

Remarkably, this $16.76 million Omega penny sale represents the fifth time Stack’s Bowers Galleries has been selected by the United States Mint for a special auction, following their $7.5 million sale of the 1933 Saint-Gaudens $20 in July 2002, their $4.6 million sale of 35th Anniversary American Eagle coins in September 2022, their $8.2 million sale of 230th Anniversary Flowing Hair coins in December 2024 and their $3.2 million sale of the Space Flown 24 Karat Gold Sacagawea dollars in September 2025. No other auction firm in the world—specialized or generalist—boasts this repetitive selection by the United States Mint.

For more information about the Stack’s Bowers Galleries sale of the historic Omega privy mark Lincoln pennies, or to consign your collection, contact the firm by calling 800-458-4646 or by emailing [email protected].

About Stack’s Bowers Galleries

Stack’s Bowers Galleries conducts live, internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency and ancient coins, as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. The company’s 90+ year legacy includes the cataloging and sale of many of the most valuable United States coin and currency collections to ever cross an auction block — The D. Brent Pogue Collection, The John J. Ford, Jr. Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection, The Harry W. Bass, Jr. Collection, The Joel R. Anderson Collection, The Norweb Collection, The Cardinal Collection, The Sydney F. Martin Collection and The Battle Born Collection — to name just a few.

World coin and currency collections include The Pinnacle Collection, The Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Collection of World Gold Coins, The Kroisos Collection, The Alicia and Sidney Belzberg Collection, The Salton Collection, The Wa She Wong Collection, the Augustana Collection of gold rarities from across western Europe, the Richard Margolis Collection of world coins and medals and The Thos. H. Law Collection. Recently the firm was awarded the privilege of bringing the most valuable world coin collection to auction – the L. E. Bruun Collection.

Stack’s Bowers Galleries is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, which is also the location of Griffin Studios, the firm’s custom-built, broadcast-ready auction and event facility. In addition, the company has galleries in New York, Boston, Miami, and Philadelphia, as well as offices in New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Copenhagen, Hong Kong, Paris and Vancouver. Stack’s Bowers Galleries hosts a Global Showcase each summer as an Event Auctioneer Partner of the ANA World’s Fair of Money, a sale that features United States coins and currency, Ancient coins and World coins and currency. They are also the Official Auctioneer for several important numismatic events, including the New York International Numismatic Convention, the Whitman Spring, Summer and Winter Expos, the Spring and Fall Hong Kong shows, and the Maastricht Paper Money shows.