You might be shocked to discover that those pennies, nickels, and dimes collecting dust in your car or forever stuck in the corner of your pockets could be worth hundreds of dollars. Rare and historical significance plays into the value of a coin, which has sparked many collectors to find the rarest coins ever minted in the U.S.
According to a few experts on the matter, here are 15 coins that are considered to be the most valuable ever, with nine of them being valued at over $1 million. Let’s get into it!
15. 1920 S Indian Head Gold Eagle
After a brief two-year hiatus, the 1920 S Indian Head Gold Eagle coin went back into production at the San Francisco Mint. If you can find one of the 126,500 pieces, then this $10 gold coin might be worth $150,000 if in mint condition, according to GOBankingRates.
This is a rare coin in the U.S. since many of them were melted on government orders in 1937. Surviving 1920 S Indian Head Gold Eagle coins were exported, and the few that remained in the U.S. during the 1930s barely survived (via Coin Appraiser).
14. 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar
The 1796 Draped Bust Half Dollar is a shining example of the rapid and radical changes the U.S. made with its coins. Sensitive to criticism, the U.S. Mint tried a few different designs when searching for the right image to represent the newly liberated country.
The 1796 Draped Bust half-dollar is a piece of history valued at $150,000, according to GOBankingRates.
13. 1870 CC Liberty Seated Quarter
According to GOBankingRates, the 1870 CC Liberty Seated quarter is valued at $150,000 if it is in mint condition. With only a single coin known to be minted out of the 8,340 quarters of this issue, it might be hard to get that big money from the coin.
However, you can still get a pretty penny from this quarter. 1870 CC Liberty Seated quarters in average condition can be worth $7,800.
12. 1804 Draped Bust Quarter
Minted by the U.S. from 1796 to 1807, the 1804 Draped Bust Quarter averages $1,588, or $157,702 if you find one in mint condition (via GOBankingRates). Featuring a depiction of Lady Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse, the design went through several modifications, with the 1804 design being the rarest (via Huntington Stamp & Coin).
The 1804-1807 issues feature the Heraldic Eagle design, with some of the quarters in 1804 having a smaller diameter.
11. 1895 O Morgan Silver Dollar
This silver dollar has a wide range of value. From $328 for an “average condition” piece to $269,370 for “mint condition,” this coin’s value is worth the struggle it is to find it. Only 450,000 Morgan silver dollars were produced in 1895.
The 1895 O Morgan Silver Dollar is identifiable for its bad strikes, meaning they would wear down faster, taking off the coin’s fine details.
10. 1873 CC Liberty Seated Dollar
The 1873 CC Liberty Seated Dollar coin might make you jump out of your chair when you read that it can sell for $170,000. This Carson City standard silver dollar is a rare coin, with only about 100 of these coins still existing.
Heritage Auctions believes that this is the hardest coin of the “famous four” CC Seated dollar coins that have ever been made.
9. 1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny
The 1943 Bronze Lincoln penny is worth holding on to. This $1 million penny has been known to break many people’s hearts. It is common to find a penny from 1943, but it’s hard to find the 1943 Bronze Lincoln since most of those 1943 pennies were made from steel, not bronze or copper.
Coin Appraiser has found an excellent way for you to judge whether that 1943 penny in your pocket is the million-dollar deal.
8. 1795 Reeded Edge Cent
If you can find a 1795 Reeded Edge Cent coin in any condition better than “very good,” then you are looking at a $1.26 million coin (via PCGS). This penny has an extremely rare edge, making it a valuable coin to any collector.
Only nine of these coins are known to exist, which adds to the rarity of this pre-Civil War coin.
7. 1943-D Lincoln Bronze Penny
This more modern coin is one lucky penny. Coming in at a value of $1.7 million, the 1943-D Lincoln Bronze Penny is one of the most interesting pennies thanks to the double wheat cent. Why is the penny so valuable? It is how it was produced with a copper planchet instead of steel planchets.
Don’t get too excited about looking for this coin. Only one Denver-minted 1943-D Copper Cent is known to exist.
6. 1907 Golden Eagle Wire Edge
While the 1907 Gold Eagle Wire Edge coin sold on eBay for $36,000, the coin is valued at $2.8 million. Unlike the Indian Head coin, this $10 gold coin is a bit of a mystery.
It features a woman on the front and an eagle on the other side.
5. 2007 C$1M Coin
While the name of the coin could make you assume that it is worth $1 million, the 2007 C$1M coin is valued at $4.1 million. Made purely from gold, this Canadian Maple Leaf coin is one of five to carry a $1 million face value.
The 21-inch coin weighs 200 pounds and depicts the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II, earning its place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest coin, according to BankNote World.
4. 1804 Silver Dollar Class I
Known as the “King of Coins,” the 1804 Silver Dollar Class I can be worth up to $4.1 million (via GoBankingRates). No coin is more famous than this rare coin. Only eight are known to exist.
Distributed in 1834 as an official gift from the United States of America to foreign heads of state, this coin is the most valued silver dollar in the world.
3. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
With only five of these coins out there in the world, the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is a rare beauty that has a value of $4.56 million (via GoBankingRates). Designed by Charles E. Barber, the Liberty Head Nickel was minted from 1883 to 1913.
Also known as the V Nickel (due to the large V on its reverse), the coin was recalled because of the error of omitting its denomination. The Mint changed the design of the coin to add the word “cents” halfway through the coin’s lifespan (via The Spruce Crafts).
2. 1343 Edward III Florin
It’s no surprise that one of the oldest coins on this list has a high value. Coming in at $6.8 million, the 1341 Edward III Florin coin is history preserved in the smallest (and most valuable) form. Known as the oldest and rarest coin in the world, this medieval English coin is believed to have been in circulation from December 1341 to July 1344.
This Edward III gold coin is extremely rare. There are only three coins of its type known to have survived into the modern day.
1. 1933 Double Eagle
This is currently the world’s most expensive coin. The 1933 Double Eagle is valued at $18.9 million and sold for that amount at auction (via Smithsonian). In a statement made by Weitzman, this $20 gold coin last went for sale at $7.59 million in 2002.
The 1933 Double Eagle was the last gold currency struck in the U.S., according to Reuters, and was commissioned by President Theodore Roosevelt. The coins sculptor, Augustus Saint-Guadens, wrote to a scholar and collector in 1905, “I have long wished to do what little I could to improve the shameful condition of our money, but now that I have the opportunity I approach it with fear and trembling.” This is currently the most expensive coin in the world.
Source: GOBankingRates
