Those of us living in days of cash still experience the frustration of trying to come up with spare change. There is no doubt that coins like these carry value, but, unfortunately, they are hard to store, count, and organize.
Even if they’re shiny and don’t weigh a ton, they’re not a big deal, but they’ll still become a hassle after you buy something with money. The thing about handling these tiny amounts of money is that somehow it dampens the perception of value, and I am not sure why.
Wouldn’t it be great if they were dollars instead? There’s a good chance you’ll have some luck with this.
1. Look around your house for treasures
If you look carefully at the change in your pocket, you will find that it could be of great value. You should be aware that most coins have only five different values, one dollar, half-a-dollar, quarter, dime, nickel, and penny.
If you are sitting on one of these listed valuable coins, you may well have $100 or even more in your pocket. Having a proper understanding of what is going on will be your responsibility. Grab some change out of your pocket and start searching. In the following slides, we have put up a list of 35 coins that have a huge value. Towards the end are a few true treasures!
2. 1965-1970 Half Dollars
The Kennedy Half Dollar was inaugurated in 1964 and is a 50-cent coin with a silver content of up to 90%. It was designed by Gilroy Roberts and Frank Gasparro in honor of John F. Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States.
A half-dollar coin from 1965-1970 is one of the more exciting coins of its era. While they contain over 40% silver and aren’t rare, their melt value is four times higher than the currency’s worth – this is because four out of ten of them are 40% silver. Therefore, it is advisable that if you find one lying on the ground or in your change jar, you do not throw it away.
3. The Connecticut Regular Strike 1999 Quarter
Connecticut is the fifth state to get a quarter in the 50 States Program. The design is also the last State Quarter design of the 20th century. All Connecticut State Quarters from 1999 to 2008 featured the same Washington bust design on the obverse.
On the reverse, Connecticut is represented by a Charter Oak Tree. Here’s where the original Constitution of Texas was hidden.
An unintended border around Mr. Washington’s head makes his appearance pop because of this 1999 stamping “error.” There was an error on the stamps. The cheaper ones might go for $25, the more heavily engraved ones may go for a few thousand.
4. The “Double Die Liberty” 1995 Penny
The number of 1995 two die cents that still exist is relatively high, perhaps up to 500,000. There are no longer any double-die penny coins, but even then, there are still coins worth more than their surface value, with a few of them going for more than $20.
Due to poor minting practices, there are numerous coins on this list that have inflated values. You can see the “B” or the “R” if you look closely. What do you think? Doesn’t this look like a case of double-lapping or double vision? There is a great deal of value in this coin for an uncirculated copy.
5. Kansas Quarter With the Inscription, “In God We Rust”
If you’ve been looking for a good laugh, take a look at this quarter that reads “In God We Rust!” Rather than the famous phrase on our currency from years ago when money was made of actual metal and not just paper.
This mistake came to be from excess grease build-up in the printing machines at the mint because they use so much ink over time it builds up inside these machines, which causes hilarious errors like this one.
All coins are worth $100+ if they still reside in their original condition, either mint or uncirculated. In this sense, this mistake might actually be a fortunate one.
6. The “Extra Low Leaf” 2004 Wisconsin Quarter
Depending on the condition of the corn stalk on it, the 2004 Wisconsin quarter can now fetch nearly $140 due to the extra leaf attached to it. The number of coins that are believed to be in circulation is around 5,500.
To know how these design errors in mints occur, several theories have been put forth, one of which suggested that either a foreign object could fill up the machines or people might accidentally drop something in there during production.
Anyway, all these mistakes make unique coins that also gain a unique value after all those years. Take a careful look at the ones you have at home, you can look for those funny mistakes.
7. The “Extra High Lead” 2004 Wisconsin Quarter
Unique among coins, the 2004 Wisconsin quarter holds a secret that can only be found by examining its leaves. The coin depicts three sets of wheat ears arranged in an arc over two stalks and one leaf on either side.
There are four sets of those plants! One group is located high up, near where the corn would typically begin to grow. It’s challenging to spot, but worth checking out for any avid collector with sharp eyesight or patience enough to take their time searching through each design element.
This coin was edited several times and many mistakes are now to be found.
8. A rare coin
If you’re lucky, then you’ll be able to find this rarest type called “high leaf.” This particular variety not only features another plant stalk aside from what appears.
This version of the 2004 Wisconsin quarter has an extra leaf on the stalk that now stands higher. It would help if you looked high and low, but more so high, since higher leaf quarters are considered rarer and therefore more valuable.
If you locate a high leaf, you can expect to pay around $168. You’ll have to be very attentive, because it is not easy to spot, but it would be worth it.
9. The “Double Ear” 1977 Penny
As part of the historical documentation, the coin is also recognized as an obverse error caused by the double-ear coin. Notably, there is an eye-catching second earlobe under Lincoln’s full ear in error on this coin. This is an easy one to identify without a magnifying glass, and you won’t need one.
In a nutshell, the President of America, Abraham Lincoln, has an unfortunate double earlobe. The reasoning behind it is not because he was given two stamps. His rare trait could be traced to just a plain production error! While these are worth about $450 each, they’re hard enough to notice them on him at all.
10. The “Wide AM” 1999 Penny
In a crazy turn of events, this seemingly insignificant penny has the potential to be worth $530 in its pre-circulated condition. The letter “M” is too far from its neighbor “A,” resulting in two separate letters on one side and three on the other. If you have come across such an oddity, I recommend getting out your magnifying glass for inspection because some severe cash could be hidden within.
Look on the reverse of a coin to see the letters “A” and “M” in the word “AMERICA.” You can tell if the coin is a Wide AM or an ordinary AM coin by seeing these letters on the reverse. Looking closely at the bottom of the “A” and “M,” you will notice a huge gap between the two letters. The bottom letters “A” and “M” may appear almost touching on ordinary 1999 pennies.
11. The “Godless” 2007 Presidential Dollar
President Bush released the first new Presidential Dollars on Feb. 15, 2007. Early coins in the series have George Washington and the Statue of Liberty on the obverse. In a separate process, lettering is applied to the edges of the coins after they are struck, the first time since 1933, displaying the date and the mintmark, as well as the statements “In God We Trust” and “E Pluribus Unum.”
The public has occasionally been given new Dollars that were not edge-lettered. The general public will receive “Godless” and dateless Presidential Dollars. One source reported that a bank teller found 15 thousand error coins, not just a few single coins. In the current estimate, there are between 50,000 and 300,000 coins that will contain the errors.
12. The “Speared Buffalo” 2005 Nickel
With an error in its minting process, this nickel was auctioned at $1,265.00 and is the highest recorded price for such a coin up to date. In 2005 Buffalo design came back into production.
Still, due to gouges on buffalo’s back, unintended results were seen instead of intended designs- specifically speared bison, which can only be replicated if die gouge passes through it during creation so named because this meant that one had to “spear” the bison all together.
This history of the coin’s design has a large influence on the value of it. It is anyway a good piece to have in your collection!
13. The “No Mark” 1982 Dime
One of the most sought-after modern coins in the marketplace, the 1975 No-S Proof Roosevelt dime, recently sold for an astounding amount – $456,000, inclusive of 20% fees – based on a PR-68 example graded by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS). Heritage Auctions auctioned the coin in the Long Beach sale on September 6, 2019, one of the first times in eight years that it had been offered for sale.
A coin without a mint mark was released into circulation for the first time in the history of the U.S. mint. The odd thing is that the famous Ohio amusement park, Cedar Point, had a large cache of these exact dimes. If you’re looking for one of these coins, keep an eye out for it because some have sold for over $1,300.
14. The Kennedy 1964 Silver Half Dollar
When President John F. Kennedy was killed in Dallas, Texas, the United States Mint produced the first Kennedy half a dollar. Following the assassination of President Kennedy, the nation was in mourning.
A law was passed immediately by Congress to replace the Franklin half dollar design with a coin commemorating John F. Kennedy. Frank Gasparro sculpted the heraldic eagle based on the Great Seal of the United States and was assisted by Gilroy Roberts in creating the portrait of John F. Kennedy on the obverse.
On the next slide, you will learn more about this very particular and valuable coin.
15. A Highly Sought-After Coin
The Kennedy Half Dollar is a highly sought-after coin. Its worth can range up to $1500 in uncirculated condition, but it could be less depending on the year of production and if there were any mint errors or not. Every detail counts.
There was no silver content from 1965-1970 when these coins were produced at 40% purity, so they are more expensive than their counterparts with higher silver contents who got put into circulation right away as opposed to just sitting around collecting dust like some unclaimed lottery ticket that will never get cashed in for all its potential value.
16. The Double Die 1972 Penny
This rare, valuable 1972 penny is a significant part of the Lincoln series, and you can find it in near-mint condition for about $1,600. The error that caused this coin to be printed twice was not noticed until after being in circulation, and is now worth up to 10 times its original value!
Be sure when looking at your pennies from 1970-1980 because these errors may have gone uncleared by those who accessed them first. These mistakes do happen all the time, but they do get corrected once noticed. Therefore, there is only few items that were released with them, and they are now quite rare.
17. The Alaska Rural Rehabilitation 1935 Token
To provide the colonists of the Matanuska Valley Colonization Project with the much-needed federal assistance they so desperately needed, the United States government issued these “bingle” tokens.
There were only two of these types of coins in circulation in the United States during the years 1935 and 1936, after which they were redeemed for regular United States currency and destroyed. These coins currently have a “Red Book” value of $1,750, as they are none circulated. There are 1, 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent pieces, $1, $5, and $10 denominations. In the next slide, you will get to know more about the history of the coin.
18. The History of the Coin
Here is a great opportunity to acquire a complete set, which is rarely offered in its complete form. This lot is expected to attract spirited competition from bidders.
When the Federal Emergency Relocation Administration provided Alaskan families who had been relocated with $10 coins for government stores, it is no wonder that most of these coins have since found a new owner and are worth far more than just ten cents. You may find one such coin in your travels if you’re lucky enough to come across someone willing to trade for anything from 10¢ up. Above is a picture of Alaska at the time the coin was issued.
19. The Sacagawea “Cheerios” 2000 Dollar
There were 10 million boxes of Cheerios sold during the promotion, which included a newly struck 2000 Lincoln Cent. A Sacagawea Dollar bearing the year 2000 was featured as part of a promotion by the U.S. Mint to raise awareness of the new “Golden Dollar.” Later, the Sacagawea Dollar in some of these boxes was struck from a different set of master dies than the regular Sacagawea Dollars.
General Mills offered a contest to win Sacagawea dollars in boxes of their cereal one year before the turn of the century. The U.S. Mint went with a slightly altered version of the existing design because their design was not ready in time for their competition. There have only been four of these coins discovered so far. Imagine the value of this $1 coin. If you ever come across one, it is worth $2,677 more.
20. The Wheat “No Mark” Error 1937 Penny
The wheat penny might not be a unique collectible for you if you believe it is. If, however, you happen to find a coin that was minted in Philadelphia during 1937, without the minuscule “d,” you could be on the receiving end of a valuable currency. In 2019, there was one in mint condition offered for sale for $7200, the last one on the market.
In addition, the Philadelphia Mint produced a variation without a mintmark. As the coin has grown older, it has become increasingly popular. Despite their reputation as being rare, millions of these pieces can be found on the market today, and they’re not very expensive.
21. The 2000 Sacagawea “Dollar with Errors”
The 2000 P Sacagawea dollar is highly sought-after at present. There were a few coins in the series with visible misprints on the front side of the coin, out of approximately 700,000,000 coins issued. Collectors have attempted to acquire one of these in the past, despite being extremely difficult to find. Due to the scarcity of these items, the price ranges from just a few hundred dollars to even thousands.
Some Sacagawea dollars minted on copper and nickel instead of the intended bronze when they were first issued in 2000. These golden coins were not gold due to this “transitional” error. One of these misprints was sold at Heritage Auctions for more than $7,600 in 2013.
22. The Hawaiian Plantation Token
A ragtag supply of coins from the Spanish American colonies and the United States mainland sustained the Kingdom of Hawaii at the beginning of the 1800s because Hawaii did not have its MintMint and did not understand the metals needed for making its coinage.
Even then, some sugar plantations still needed their charms, so they began making their own. As a form of compensation for Spanish-American coinage, blacksmiths made these tokens in the Hawaiian islands.
This is perhaps why these tokens don’t have a formal appearance, as they may not have been produced at a government mint. However, these characteristics only add to their appeal to collectors today.
23. The Hawaiian Plantation Token and the Double Die, Small Date 1970
Hawaiian Plantation Token wasn’t an official currency like some of the other coins on this list. The U.S. minted some of these coins, but other countries mainly made some. The Hawaiian sugar plantations used these coins as money; they were part of the United States Mint.
Although these coins cannot be used outside the plantations for which they were created, they are still quite valuable, despite their inability to be used nearly anywhere else. There was one that sold for more than $11,000 in 2014.
The Double Die, Small Date 1970 Penny:
These double-faced pennies were all issued by the San Francisco Mint with a minor font date. DoubleS signatures are marked twice on each, which is evident from the doubleS stamp. So far, eight examples have been found. In pristine, uncirculated condition, this coin can sell for $37,000.
24. The U.S. Philippines 1906 Peso
Historically speaking, this is a fascinating fact. For almost a century, the United States occupied the Philippines between 1901 and 1935. A small number of Americans are present there. The Philippines Mint has been printing several coins with guidance from the Philippines Mint along the way.
There were a number of them, and the 1906 Peso is one of them. Even though many coins were lost or melted down, even the coins themselves were made of pure silver. Nowadays, there are thousands of counterfeit, fake, and phony products available on the market. One of the actual coins, in mint condition, sold for $40000 in 2019.
25. The Double Die 1969 Penny
A precious U.S. coin comes in the form of a double-stamped “head” penny. The Secret Service believed that this coin was a counterfeit because it was so unusual. In mint condition, they can fetch upwards of $45,000. That is truly incomprehensible.
The Gold 1851 Mormon Coins:
This coin is the one pictured above. These five-dollar gold coins were established during the gold rush in the 1840s when gold coins were brought back from Sutter’s Mill in California by the members of the Latter-day Saints. Currently, five dollars worth of these coins is worth somewhere in the vicinity of $50,000.
26. The Aluminum 1974 Penny
Copper production in the United States increased when copper prices were high. There have been rumors that the mint could release aluminum penny coins shortly. The total number of copies was about 1.5 million.
Some collectors still have this priceless penny, but ultimately, the plan was scrapped and melted the majority. Considering, there are only two copies in the world (one at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington). According to estimates, one of these could be worth over $25,000 when sold.
This coin is a very good testimony of the history of the United States and in particular of the economic conditions at the time these coins were issued.
27. The “No S” 1975 Dime
These 1975 dimes have been printed as proofs for collector sets – meaning they are intended to be exhibited as a collection. This is an interesting fact about the San Francisco Mint’s dime production.
These are not known to have been printed with the “S.” Because these coins were going to be collected from the beginning, the fact that they had errors makes them more valuable than any number of other coins. This can fetch you as much as a half-million dollar if you can find one. Have a look at your collection, you might even own one of them.
28. Morgan Silver Dollar
What makes this coin so valuable? Like all others on our list, the value of the 1901 Morgan varies greatly depending on their condition. But even a currency close to 1901 can still bring in over 400 thousand dollars! Only 813 were minted that year, and it’s hard for them not to be worn down or scratched from use.
Walking Liberty Half Dollar
The Walking Liberty Half Dollar is a must-have for collectors and can fetch near $200,000 in pristine condition. The coin was minted right at the end of World War I and had an impressive design on its face that makes it much more attractive than other coins from this period.
29. Copper Wheat Penny
Among the rarest coins in American history is the 1943 Copper Wheat penny, probably due to a minor error in the production process. At the inception of the Second World War, all pennies and halfpennies were supposed to be made of steel (known as war pennies) instead of copper, since copper was needed for the war effort.
Despite that, a small number of 1943 pennies included copper, most likely as a product of mixing steel and copper plates during the making of the 1943 pennies. According to recent estimates, there are only about 40 1943 copper penny examples known to exist globally. They can be worth anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000.
30. 1894-S Barber Dime
The 1894-S Barber dime is rare, and it is one of the most wanted coins among coin collectors, as it is one of the most highly collectible. Out of only 24 pieces coined in the whole world during that time, it is alleged that only nine of them still exist today. Who knows, more of them might reappear, as their owners find them amongst their things?
Thus, although one of these bad boys is quite rare, the odds of finding one of them are lower than the odds of winning the lottery. A collector spent almost two million dollars in 2007.
31. Sacagawea Double Denomination Mule Error
It is difficult to lessen the importance of this 2000 Sacagawea dollar in the grand scheme of American coinage history. This coin has a worn reverse and was minted in the early 1900s that has the classic design of the Sacagawea dollar with the eagle.
However, the obverse is brand new and has the standard quarter design featuring George Washington’s face. Sixteen of these coins have been identified today, and one of them has been sold for $117,500 during an auction. Of course, being this rare does have a big influence on the value of such objects, because it is even more unlikely that we will find more of them in the future.
32. Certain Uncirculated State Quarters
When the state quarter was the go-to coin for people, do you remember that? I have just learned that an uncirculated roll of these might not only be worth something nowadays, but might also be quite valuable.
When reading this, there are states in high demand, so check-in for that information, but if you can roll five of them together, you might make about $30.
Just like the mistakes on some coins, the fact that they were never circulated is another particular feature that might increase the value of the coin. It makes them particular and therefore also more expensive.
33. The 1804 Bowed Liberty Dollar
It is another one of the most incredibly rare and possibly one of the most valuable coins, the Bowed Liberty Dollar. According to some estimates, there are only 15 coins of this type left on earth today. The earliest one was minted in 1804, but none of the coins left on earth originate before 1830.
It is estimated that one of those coins was sold for $4,148,000 in 1999. Because of their high value, it is not surprising that they have been subjected to several counterfeiting attempts in the past. Fortunately, if your bring them to the right experts, they can easily tell them apart.
34. 2009 Lincoln Presidency Penny
Lincoln’s pennies may have circulated in the U.S. in 2009, and one of the four reverse designs depicts the Capitol Dome being built when Lincoln was the President of the United States. Despite its smallest mintage, it also has the smallest mintage of any design, with only a little over 130 million produced in Philadelphia.
At the same time, 198 million are made in Denver (which carries the “D” mark). I think that a penny in good condition can be sold for a little over $10 if you happen to come across one. It is anyway something, and collectors might be happy to come across them.
35. Liberty Head Nickel
Liberty Head nickels were created from 1883 to 1912 to be circulated to the public. Interesting enough, there have been no official strikes since 1913, and the five coins that are in existence today were minted around that time, with no one quite sure of their origin. The one that was sold for 4.5 million dollars in 2018 was one of these coins.
The first and only complete collection of American coins was put together by the famous coin collector Louis E. Eliasberg. Among all five existing coins, this one is generally considered the best-preserved and might even be worth $5 million.
36. 2008-W U.S. Reverse of 2007 Silver Eagle Dollar
The U.S. Mint has slightly modified the reverse design for the Silver Eagle Dollar of 2008. There were just several coins in the batch, and the mistake was only discovered after about 45,000 coins were produced, and some of them had been accidentally struck with the previous design.
The letter U’s missing serif on the coin is one of its most distinguishing features. The uncirculated value of this coin, according to www.usacoinbook.com, is $474. The value of circulated ones will be different, but this is already an indication. In the matter of coins, you have to pay attention to every single detail.
37. “Wounded Eagle” Sacagawea Dollar
In keeping with its “wounded” moniker, the 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar “Wounded Eagle” is characterized by three raised lines crossing the eagle’s back. A total of 200 of these coins can still be found in circulation today, and as far as we know, the reason for the mistake in the die cannot be ascertained. Maybe some experts will come up with an explanation some day.
Coins such as this can range from $275 to $475. Be sure to look at the lines in the eagle and make sure they are raised over indented lines. Some people have been known to receive counterfeit coins with indented lines.
