This 1943-S was unknown to collectors until the late-1990s

Rare Lincoln Cent soars to $207k

One of only seven extant, this 1943-S cent was the star lot at Heritage's $8.9m coin auction

Heritage Auction Galleries' Long Beach Auction of rare coins realised an incredible $8.9m earlier this month, showing that the numismatic collectors' market is thriving in 2010.

The 1943-S, featuring former US President Abraham Lincoln

The star sale of the auction was a 1943-S Cent Struck on a Bronze Planchet, VF35 PCGS, which again proved itself as one of the most sough-after rare error coins in US numismatics.

Met with enthusiastic bidding, the coin soared to an impressive $207,000 aided by enthusiastic online bidders.

It's thought that up-to seven 1943-S bronze cents may exist in the world, or possibly as few as five.

According to experts, the Lincoln Cent's appeal is due both to its glossy olive-gold and mushroom-brown colour, and the clarity of its strike.

The coin remained unknown to collectors, held in a private collection for decades

The old coin is a relatively recent entrant to the numismatic marketplace, and was unknown to David Lange when he published his Complete Guide to Lincoln Cents in 1996.

As is sometimes the case with collectibles, the coin became known to the public after being held in a private collection for decades.

Around 4,000 bidders competed for collectible rarities in Heritages auction, in the saleroom, by telephone and online.

Watch this space for more news on Heritage's Long Beach Auction.

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Images: Heritage Auctions