When it comes to valuable coins, nothing compares to the 1933 Double Eagle.
The Double Eagle, the last gold currency struck in the U.S., sold for a whopping $18.9 million in 2021. First minted in 1907, the coin features an image of Lady Liberty on its obverse and an eagle in flight on the reverse, Smithsonian reported. In 1934, after the country was moved off the gold standard, the U.S. Mint’s director ordered the Double Eagles, which had been struck but not issued, be melted though two specimens were given to the Smithsonian Institution.
A handful of the coins escaped destruction, however, including the one that set records at the 2021 auction.
5 most valuable American coins still in circulation
Chances of you having a Double Eagle are infinitesimal but that doesn’t mean you’re completely out of luck.
GoBankingRates.com recently looked at the five most valuable U.S. coins that are still in circulation. Here’s what they found:
1913 Liberty Head Nickel – There are only five in existence and one of those garnered $4.2 million last year.
The 1787 Fugio Cent – Also referred to as a “Franklin Cent” after designer Benjamin Franklin, it is considered the first coin in circulation in the U.S. It was only minted one year and less than 400,000 were produced. In January 2022, a circulated version of the coin sold for $1,575 while an uncirculated version was listed for $3,500.
1969-S Lincoln Cent With a Doubled Die Obverse – The Secret Service confiscated early specimens of the coin until the U.S. Mint confirmed the coins with the double-printing error was legitimate. A coin in excellent condition could be worth as much as $40,000, SpruceCrafts.com reported.
1955 Double Die Lincoln Penny – A manufacturing issue led to the design of some 1955 Lincoln pennies being doubled. By the time employees noticed the error, thousands of the coins were already printed and mixed in with the regular ones, GoBankingRates.com reported. In the highest condition, these coins could fetch over $80,000 Spruce predicted.
1983 Penny With No Mint Mark – These pennies are missing their mint marks indicating where they were made. One of these pennies could go for as much as $7,000.
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