It’s the stuff of dreams to discover a buried treasure in an old dresser drawer in the attic. So is rummaging through your coin jars and discovering a rare coin worth a lot of money. While striking it rich with a large coin collection is unlikely, you might be able to uncover some loose change that’s worth more than you think. In this post, we have compiled a list of 10 Most Expensive Coins in the World.
A collectible item’s value can be determined in a variety of ways. The simplest technique to figure out how much a coin is worth is to look up coins that have been sold and keep track of the prices they received. Some coins are one-of-a-kind, are kept in museums, and will never be sold to the general public.
Many of the coins on this list are extremely rare, so they’re unlikely to be found in your attic, but they’re also not all that pricey. Some more modern examples (coins from the twentieth century) may be more affordable, and these are more likely to be put away somewhere quiet or in your parents’ bank’s safe deposit box.
Table of Contents
Let’s dive into the list of Most Expensive Coins in the World-
1. 1794/5 Flowing Hair Silver/Copper Dollar – $10 Million
For the time being, the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar may hold the title of most valuable coin ever sold. Some analysts believe it was the United States Mint’s first silver dollar.
A profile of Lady Liberty with flowing hair appears on the front, while an American eagle appears on the reverse. Fewer than 1,800 of these coins were ever made, and one expert estimates that only 120 to 130 remain, making them extremely uncommon.
2. 1933 Double Eagle – $7.6 Million
Due to then-President Theodore Roosevelt’s prohibition on anyone having gold, the next batch of Double Eagles, struck in 1933, were recalled from the general public and melted by the mint.
He did so because he believed it would help with the banking crisis at the time; however, a tiny number of 1993 Double Eagles escaped from the mint’s vaults.
3. 1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle – $7.6 Million
Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ intricate design was too difficult for the United States Mint to create in commercial quantities, resulting in the design’s alteration.
Instead of removing any of Saint-Gaudens’ design, the Mint’s head engraver, Charles Barber, chose to strike the words “In God We Trust” from the coin. Congress blew a gasket, and the coin was produced, but it is now extremely uncommon.
4. 1787 Brasher Doubloon – $7.4 Million
Ephraim Brasher, a New York City goldsmith and silversmith, created the Brasher Doubloon in the late 18th century. The state seal with a rising sun appears on the front of the coin, while the American eagle with a shield appears on the reverse.
A variation of the doubloon with Brasher’s signature EB on the breast sold for over $7.4 million in a 2011 auction. According to Coin World, another doubloon with the signature EB on the bird’s wing sold for more than $5 million in a private sale in 2018.
5. 1343 Edward III Florin – $6.8 Million
The oldest coin on our list, which dates back to over 670 years, is today valued at slightly under $7 million. The coin’s value is mostly determined by its age, and it is believed to be one of just three of its kind to have survived the centuries.
This coin is not just one of the most valuable in the world, but it’s also one of the rarest, and it’s highly unlikely that another one will ever be discovered. The British Museum currently houses the two surviving coins, which were discovered in the River Tyne in 1857.
6. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel – Morton-Smith-Eliasberg – $4.5 Million
This coin isn’t as old as some of the others on this list, but it doesn’t make it any less valuable. In fact, it’s one of the rarest coins on the market. The Liberty V Nickel was created by the United States Mint from 1883 to 1913, however only five coins are said to have been minted in the last year.
This variant is believed to be the finest known example on the planet, as it is one of only five known specimens. Its exquisite mirror-like surface is one of the reasons for its high value and rarity. It’s the only one of the five that’s finished this way, which adds to its value to collectors and coin enthusiasts.
7. 1804 Silver Dollar Class 1 – $4.1 Million
The specimen of the “King of US Coins,” which sold for $4.1 million dollars in August 1999, is the world’s best-known example of an 1804 Silver dollar. It was graded proof-68 by the Professional Coin Grading Service and was the most expensive coin in the world in 1999.
The Sultan of Muscat, Henry Chapman, Virgil Brand, and the Poque family are just a few of the notable owners of the currency over the years. However, the coin did not sell for that amount because the offer fell short of the auction’s reserve price.
8. 2007 $1 Million Gold Canadian Maple Leaf – $4.02 Million
The $1 million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin is a novelty coin if there ever was one, weighing in at a massive 100 kilograms (220 pounds). As of early May 2020, just six of the virtually pure gold coins have ever been minted, each with a face value of $1 million.
They were used to promote the mint’s one-ounce Gold Maple Leaf coins as a promotional showpiece. The coin was confirmed as the world’s largest gold coin by the Guinness Book of World Records in October 2007.
9. 1804 Bust Dollar – Class 1 – Dexter-Poque Specimen – $3.8 Million
Due to its long history and the presence of a minuscule “D” printed in one of the clouds on the reverse of the coin, which indicated that it belonged to a highly wealthy Numismatist named James V. Dexter, this piece is exceptionally rare and precious.
The coin was discovered in Germany in 1804 and is highly sought after by coin collectors, as only eight known class 1 coins have ever been produced.
10. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel – $3.7 Million
The first coin on the list is a 1913 Liberty head nickel that was featured in Hawai Five-O, a popular 1970s television show. The coin was mostly used for any close-up work in the series, with lower-value coins brought in for anything more dangerous that could depreciate the coin.
The coin is thought to be one of five authentic Liberty Head Nickels stolen from the mint by an ex-employee and found its way into private auctions and coin collections.
As you acquire and sift through coins, coin collecting may be an enjoyable hobby. Don’t forget, though, that profiting from collectibles entails a tax burden. Examine what taxes you’ll owe on your profits before turning your hobby into a business – even a side gig. Unfortunately, the 28 percent tax rate on collectibles is sometimes greater than the rates on stocks and other financial assets.
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