(NEXSTAR) — Amid a widespread penny shortage that has prompted businesses to offer snacks, drinks, and gift cards (as well as warnings about incorrect change) in exchange for Lincoln cents, you may find yourself looking at your stash of pennies with dollar signs in your eyes.

Spoiler alert: Your pennies may not be worth much more than the aforementioned freebies. That is, of course, dependent on a few engraved features: the year, wheat sheaves, and, if you’re lucky, three initials.

In recent years, there have been pennies that have sold at auction for hundreds or thousands of dollars. A rare few have been known to fetch more than $1 million.

Why the US is minting its last penny, and what happens now

In 2022, for example, 10 pennies from more than a century ago sold for a combined $1.1

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