Discovering a rare coin, such as a three-legged buffalo nickel or a quarter made from silver, can be exciting. The coins below surpassed those examples, with reported values above one million dollars; some even exceeded eight figures. Coins may become rare for several reasons, including political circumstances and controversial minting. This article originally highlighted several of the world’s rarest coins.
1804 Silver Dollar, Class I
This piece is frequently known as the “King of U.S. Coins,” appropriately so because just fifteen examples of this silver coin are known worldwide. It was struck in 1834, 30 years after its date, as a gift for Asian rulers visited by trade envoys. In 1999, one specimen sold for $4,140,000.
Check out our list of other rare US coins as well!
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar
1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, MS66+At publication, Only 1,758 of these coins were minted, and this Flowing Hair Silver Dollar sold at auction for $6,600,000 in August 2021. The article reported that only a small number of the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollars were believed to remain, making a coin in this condition exceptionally scarce and valuable. Its rarity and underlying value also made it one of the coins dealers most often received calls about as a replica or counterfeit, in the United States and abroad.
1933 Saint Gaudens – Double Eagle
1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle PCGS 65The U.S. Mint started making Saint Gaudens gold coins in 1933, then stopped production and melted all but a handful after Executive Order (EO) 6102 was signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt. The order barred U.S. citizens from owning gold coins and required them to exchange gold coins for paper currency. The government then melted the coins. Although the Mint did not intend to release them, several apparently left the mint’s vaults. The most valuable example reportedly sold for a record $18.9 million in 2021.
1343 Edward III Florin
This British coin was worth about 6 shillings at its original mintage, but it had accumulated considerable value over the following 670 years. With only three foreign coins examples known, it was described as among the rarest coins and valued at $6.8 million.
1787 Brasher Doubloon
Many collectors set out to assemble particular coin types, including doubloons, though a casual collector would find this rare example difficult to afford. After minter Ephraim Brasher’s petition to New York State for authority to mint a new coinage was denied, he made coins anyway. He produced many in bronze but also struck some in gold. Those gold pieces became among the rarest coins in the United States and the world. The original article reported that a Wall Street investment firm recently purchased one doubloon for $7.4 million.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel
1913 Liberty Head NickelCoins made so recently are not commonly struck without U.S. Mint approval. That circumstance made this nickel one of the rarest known coins, called the King of 20th Century Coinage. Only five were produced, and every one is a specimen proof sought by exceptionally wealthy collectors. The costliest example sold for $4.56 million in 2018. The original article also noted a more recent auction, at the time of publication, with prices above $4 million, and speculated that one might someday bring eight figures.
In Summary
Coins this scarce are items many people may never have the opportunity to see. When they do appear, a museum or national coin show is a more likely setting than pocket change. Most coins will not command multimillion-dollar prices, but moderately rare examples can still bring a meaningful amount.
When this article was originally published, Atlanta-area readers were invited to contact Atlanta Gold & Coin Buyers, with assistance navigating the market described at that time. Readers with coins they believed valuable were directed to learn about how we determine the value of your coins. The original article invited them to give Atlanta Gold & Coin a call that day or request an appointment online.
