Valuable Coins You Could Find in Your Pocket Change

Mint Mark: None
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $325*

It’s not double-vision that someone is experiencing when laying their eyes upon these Lincoln Memorial Cents from 1972. It’s just a simple mistake. Like in any industry, mistakes can happen when manufacturing coins, especially when billions of them are minted each year.

1972 doubled die obverse Lincoln Memorial cent @coindeals_/Twitter

In 1972, the U.S. Mint made one of these “rare” mistakes when 20,000 or so of that year’s Lincoln Memorial Cents had their imprintings of “LIBERTY” and “1972” unintentionally doubled. The doubling of the coins text has much more than doubled its value. One of the 1972 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Memorial Cents sold on eBay a few decades ago for $325. The real kicker is the bidding began at just $1.

Mint Mark: None
Face Value: $0.10*
Est. Current Value: $300*

The little letter that’s on (almost) every American coin signifies from which Mint it came. For instance, every coin that comes out of the Philly Mint is meant to have the letter “P”. There are 10,000+ known 1982 Roosevelt Dimes that do not have that identifying “P”.

1982 No Mint Mark Roosevelt Dime @ebay

It’s unknown how many of the Mint markless dimes were made; however, with every new one that pops up, each one’s value decreases a little more. On the other hand, $300 for a ten-cent coin is still a pretty good trade-off.

Mint Mark: None
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $504*

It’s not very often that a coin from as recent as 1972 is worth more than its face value, but it does happen on occasion. About 20,000 of the Lincoln Cents from 1972 fall into this category. The coins have a few distinct defects. However, because of how many were made, their values aren’t as high as they could have been.

1972 Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse @ebay

The obvious mistake in this penny’s Minting is evident in its blurry text, which signifies a double (and slightly off skew Minting. The second, and less obvious mishap, is that the “Heads” is on the “Tails” side, and vice versa.

Mint Mark: S
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $558*

In 1999, two variations of the Reverse Lincoln Memorial penny were Minted. On the rarer of the two, the “wide ‘AM,'”  the “A” and the “M” in “America” are further apart than on the other. The letters “F” and “G” are also closer to the Lincoln Memorial and the rarer “wide” rendition of the 1999 Reverse Lincoln Cent than they are on the more compact “AM” version of the same coin.

1999 Wide "AM" Reverse Lincoln Cent @Johny Bhony/Facebook

An excellent condition wide “AM” reverse Lincoln cent from 1999 is worth more than $500. Due to the scarcity of the coins, however, even one that’s not in the best condition has sold for $100.

Mint Mark: P
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $300*

In the late-90s, the Mints in Denver and Philadelphia made the switch to a single hub technique. Due to the single strike nature of the newly implemented technique, the switch reduced the chance of Doubled Die coins being created by 100%. The change in the Minting process also meant that the Doubled Die Lincoln cent from 1995 would be the last Doubled Die coin to come out of the two aforementioned Mints.

1995 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent @CoinError/Twitter

At one time, the 1995 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Cent would have fetched more than $300. However, these days, as a result of the increasing number of these coins being discovered, their value has now dropped to around $20 a piece.

Mint Mark: P
Face Value: $0.25*
Est. Current Value: $25*

This “broadstruck” coin wasn’t appropriately aligned during the minting process, and, as a result of the mishap at the factory, the twenty-five-cent coin is now worth closer to $25. While that’s not a whole lot of money compared to some of the other rare coins out there, there were a lot of them produced.

1999-P Connecticut Broadstruck Quarter @CU_World/Twitter

It’s pretty easy to spot if one of these damaged coins has fallen into your hands. Check to the left above George Washington’s head. If there’s a clean half-moon dent, you’re in luck. That $0.25 coin could pay for the next couple of months of that Netflix membership of yours.

Mint Mark: S
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $126,000*

The F.B.I’s “Most Wanted” list has long been a scale for Americans to weigh the dangers of each threat to their country. A few decades ago, that threat came in the form of a 1-cent coin – the 1969-S Lincoln Cent. 

1969-S Lincoln Cent with Doubled Die Obverse @ebay

It sounds crazy, but it happened as a result of a failed counterfeiting operation by Roy Gray and Morton Goodman that was meant to infuse countless imposter pennies into circulation. Due to the rare nature of the silhouette style doubled text of the 100 copies, they have sold for anywhere between $44,000 and $126,000 at auction.

Mint Mark: D
Face Value: $20*
Est. Current Value: $1.65 Million*

In 1933, after centuries of using golden coins, an order went out to remove them from circulation (all of them). This signaled the beginning of a new era for American currency—one without gold changing hands at the corner shop. The 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle was no exception. 

1927 D St Gaudens Double Eagle @ebay

To begin with, only 180,000 of the Double Eagles were minted. By the time the culling had concluded, that number had whittled down to between 11-15. Owners of these $20 coins are in possession of literal and figurative treasures that have the potential to earn them a small fortune of $1.65 million. Or, at least, that’s what one of them sold for at an auction in 2005.

Mint Mark: D
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $4,945*

On a number of the 1957-D Wheat Pennies, a smaller than normal gap is evident between the “b” and the “e” in the word “Liberty” that’s to the left of Lincoln on the “Heads” side of the coin. The error was caused by an abnormal die break.

1957-D Wheat Penny @aussiecoins/Twitter

The most that one of these 1957-D Wheat Pennies has sold for is $4,945, which it did back in the autumn of 2007. There are records of more than a thousand of these 1-cent coins being auctioned off and sold at a hefty profit over the years.

Mint Mark: D
Face Value: $0.25*
Est. Current Value: $1,499*

The mystery surrounding the 5,000 (and counting) 2004 Wisconsin State Quarters Minted with an extra leaf on their “Tails” side is still yet to be solved. It is believed, however, that this was no accident. In a tale that would give The Hardy Boys a run for their money, a Mint employee was the lead suspect but never proven guilty.

2004 Wisconsin State Quarter With Extra Leaf @ebay

Tucson is the primary discovery point of the extra-leafed quarter, so take extra notice of the 25-cent pieces there. You just might find one that will fund a $1,499 Nike shopping spree.

Mint Mark: D
Face Value: $20*
Est. Current Value: $1.65 Million*

Named after coin designer Augustus Saint-Gaudens, this $20 gold coin wasn’t very rare at all until 1933. That was the year that President Roosevelt ordered the recall of all gold coins, including 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle. 

1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle @ebay

Almost 200,000 of the $20 Double Eagle coins were minted. Today, however, it’s widely believed (amongst coin enthusiasts, historians, and experts) that no more than 15 still exist. If one of the 1927-D Saint-Gaudens golden Double Eagles does catch your eye, just know that the last one that sold at auction sold for more than $1.5 million.

Mint Mark: S
Face Value: $0.01*
Est. Current Value: $1 Million*

The year was 1943. The world was at war, and copper was needed in order to make ammunition. As a result, steel coins coated in zinc became the new norm for pennies. It did for those years of war, at least. When it came time to Mint the new one-cent coins, a few of the old copper planchets found their ways into the press.

1943-S Lincoln Wheat Penny @ebay

Those few dozen unique 1943-S Lincoln Wheat pennies are quite the commodity these days. In 2012, a well-preserved vintage sold for $1 million even though they’ve only been valued at around 10K. 

Mint Mark: D, S
Face Value: $20*
Est. Current Value: $18.9 million*

Though the 2005 Kansas errors aren’t valuable, this one certainly is. The value of this 1933 Double Eagle coin is $20, but it is worth $18.9 million, making it the most valuable coin in the world. The gold coin, composed of 90% gold and 10% copper, was one of 445,000 specimens featuring the Saint-Gaudens double eagle.

1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle @lynnettewalczak/Pinterest

None were circulated, and only two in the world exist, as the rest were ordered melted down. Technically, it is illegal to own these coins, as they were never officially issued and remain the legal property of the United States government. However, an exception was made for the one sold at auction.

Mint Mark: D
Face Value: $0.05*
Est. Current Value: $200-$500*

Designed by Joe Fitzgerald and Jamie Franki, the 2005-D 5C Speared Bison Jefferson Nickel is another error coin that has proven to be worth around $200-$500. These coins contain a noticeable die gouge that runs through the back of the bison. The die gauge was caused by a mint error.

2005-D 5C Speared Bison Jefferson Nickel @ebay

Now, according to PCGS, these nickels are worth far more than their face value. Currently, there is one up for bids on eBay for $495. The coins have been valuable since their inception. Just a few days after the die gouges were discovered, the nickels were already selling for $100 each, likely because people knew they’d increase in value over time.