Most Expensive Coins Ever Sold: Top 10 Records in 2026

As of October 2026, the most expensive coin ever sold is the 1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, which fetched $18.9 million at Sotheby’s in New York in June 2021. A 1794 Flowing Hair silver dollar is second, reportedly changing hands for $12 million in a 2022 private sale.

Most record coins are American, and most of them sold during a strong run for rare coins in 2021 and 2022. The prices below are actual sale prices, including buyer’s premiums where they apply, not estimates or insurance values.

Most expensive coins ever sold: summary

1. 1933 Double Eagle: $18.9 million

The 1933 $20 gold piece was struck but never officially released, because the US left the gold standard that year and most of the coins were melted down. A handful escaped, and the US government has treated almost all of them as stolen property.

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This example is the only one the government has allowed into private hands. It sold for $7.59 million in 2002, then for $18.9 million at Sotheby’s in June 2021, when shoe designer Stuart Weitzman sold it. That 2021 price remains the record for any coin.

2. 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar: $12 million

The 1794 Flowing Hair dollar is widely considered the first silver dollar struck by the US Mint. Only about 1,758 were made, and far fewer survive in good condition.

The finest known example sold for $10 million in a 2013 auction, a record at the time. A specimen was then reported to have sold privately for $12 million in 2022, which makes it the second most valuable coin on record.

3. 1787 Brasher Doubloon (EB on wing): $9.36 million

Ephraim Brasher was a New York goldsmith who struck gold coins before the US Mint was set up in 1792. His initials “EB” were punched onto each coin as a mark of quality.

The version with the mark on the eagle’s wing is unique. Heritage Auctions sold it for $9.36 million in January 2021.

4. 1822 Half Eagle: $8.4 million

Only three 1822 $5 gold pieces are known, and two of them are held by the Smithsonian Institution. That left a single example available to collectors.

It sold through Stack’s Bowers in March 2021 for $8.4 million, making it one of the most valuable US gold coins ever sold.

5. 1804 Silver Dollar: $7.68 million

Known as the “King of American Coins”, the 1804 dollar was not struck in 1804. The first examples were made in the 1830s as diplomatic gifts for rulers in Asia, and only 15 are known.

The Sultan of Muscat specimen sold for $7.68 million through Stack’s Bowers in August 2021. Another 1804 dollar sold for $6 million in December 2025, showing that demand remains high.

6. 1787 Brasher Doubloon (EB on breast): $7.395 million

This second Brasher doubloon has the “EB” mark on the eagle’s breast rather than its wing. It is also one of the earliest gold coins struck in the US.

It sold in a private sale arranged by Blanchard and Company in 2011 for $7.395 million, a record for a gold coin at the time.

7. 1861 Paquet Double Eagle: $7.2 million

Anthony Paquet designed a new reverse for the $20 gold coin in 1861, but the design was withdrawn because it caused problems in striking. Only two Philadelphia examples are known to survive.

The finer of the two sold at Heritage Auctions in August 2021 for $7.2 million.

8. 1903 Fengtien One Tael: $6.9 million

This gold pattern coin was struck in Fengtien province, now Liaoning in north-east China, during the late Qing dynasty. It is the only Chinese coin in the top 10.

It sold at Beijing Chengxuan Auction in 2022 for about $6.9 million, one of the highest prices ever paid for a Chinese coin.

9. 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar (MS-66+): $6.6 million

A second 1794 Flowing Hair dollar makes the list. Graded MS-66+, it is among the best-preserved examples of the first US silver dollar.

Heritage Auctions sold it in 2021 for $6.6 million. Another 1794 dollar sold for $4.5 million in November 2025.

10. Gold Dinar of Yazid II: $6.03 million

This gold dinar was struck in 723 AD under the Umayyad caliph Yazid II. Its inscription says it was made from gold mined at a site belonging to the caliph, which makes it important to historians of early Islamic coinage.

It sold at Morten & Eden in London in 2011 for about $6.03 million, a record for an Islamic coin at the time. For other record-setting collectibles, see our list of the most expensive watches.

Recent sales worth knowing

The rare coin market stayed active in 2025. PCGS reported that 28 of the 30 most valuable coins sold that year were graded by the company. In December 2025, Stack’s Bowers auctioned sets of the last US one-cent coins struck for circulation, and the sale raised a total of $16.76 million.

That penny total covered many lots, so it does not count as a single coin record. In the US, profits on collectible coins held for more than a year can be taxed at up to 28%.

How we ranked these coins

We included only coins with a documented sale price, from public auctions or reported private sales. Valuations, estimates and bullion coins valued by metal content were left out. Prices are in US dollars as reported at the time of sale and are not adjusted for inflation.

Sources: Wikipedia: List of most expensive coins, PCGS: Top 30 most valuable coins sold in 2025, Yahoo News: Final US pennies sell for $16.76 million.