COLLECTIBLES
Five of the most valuable US coins in circulation that could be worth millions
Numismatics is the hobby and art of collecting coins and banknotes from different eras, a pastime that could make you a millionaire.
Collecting coins and bills is a much more common hobby than it seems and is as old as money itself. Coins from all periods and places are old relics, representing the passing of time and civilisations through the changing of currency.
The collections tend to have more sentimental than economic value since it is usually relatively easy to find the most common old coins. But in certain cases, due to their rarity or age, some coins can make their owners rich.
The most valuable coins in circulation
The best known of all these coins is also the most expensive; the 1933 Double Eagle. Today only a single coin of this variety exists, making it an extremely coveted coin. to the point of reaching the value of $19 million dollars in an auction held in 2021.
These are other of the most valuable coins in circulation:
1913 Liberty Head Nickel
There are only five units of this model in the world, making it a high value coin. In fact, at an auction last year, one of them sold for $4.2 million. This coin is sometimes called the Walton Nickel and experts believe we may not see another one for decades.
When the US Mint replaced the Liberty Head nickel with the Indian Head nickel in 1912, five Liberty coins were produced illegally. The existence of these specimens was not known until 1919.
1787 Fugio Cent
The 1787 Fugio cent is sometimes known as the Franklin cent and is considered the first coin to be in circulation in the US.
This coin was minted in 1787 and 398,577 were produced. While this coin has not set records at auction due to its ‘high’ number of examples, it has such an interesting history that it could be worth hundreds or even thousands, depending on its condition.
1969-S Lincoln Cent with Double Die Obverse
A lady in Texas found one of these coins almost a decade ago. This was surprising because the Secret Service had confiscated earlier versions until the US Mint confirmed they were legitimate. The penny is for sale online from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
1955 Double Die Lincoln Penny
This is one of the most popular error coins produced by the US Mint. These tend to be sold for around $2,000 depending on condition.
A manufacturing issue caused the die design to be duplicated in the centering process. By the time employees noticed the error, thousands of coins were already mixed up and it wasn’t worth interrupting the process.
So, now you know what to look for and maybe, just maybe, you‘ll come across a little piece of round metal that changes your life forever. Don’t bank on it though.