15 Super Rare Coins Still in Circulation

When you find out what some of these rare coins are worth, you might run to your spare change jar. You never know if you have the rare coin that has collectors dying to open their wallets.

Seriously though, rare coins can fetch a hefty price tag these days. You could be sitting on a goldmine, whether the coin is super old or has a rare blemish.

These are some of the coins that experts still believe are in circulation. Do you have any of them hiding in your couch cushions?

1. 1972 Doubled Die Obverse Lincoln Memorial Cent

When the Lincoln Memorial penny was released in 1972, the U.S. Mint made a critical error. To the left and right of Abe’s profile, the words “Liberty” and “1972” were double-dyed, making the font slightly skewed.

Over 20,000 coins were cast before the Mint realized its mistake. If you’re lucky, you can still find these pennies, and they can be worth up to $300.

2. 2004 D Wisconsin Quarter, Extra Leaf Low Variety

When the state of Wisconsin released its custom quarter in 2004, it adorned it with all things Wisconsin. The quarter has an image of a cow, a cheese wheel, and an ear of corn.

Certain quarters have a noticeable “low leaf” that touches the cheese. There’s a conspiracy theory that this was done on purpose, but there’s no proof that’s the case. Either way, these quarters are worth up to $6,000.

3. Sacagawea Cheerios Dollar

Remember when you opened a new box of cereal and got a toy? What a great morning that was. That was the thought process when, in 2000, the U.S. Mint promoted its new golden dollar by hiding 5,550 coins in cereal boxes.

Some of these coins were a little different. Up to 70 coins have a prominent eagle wing on the back. If you’re lucky enough to find one, you could be $25,000 richer.

4. 2008-W Silver Eagle Reverse of 2007

Almost 50,000 of these coins were struck before the U.S. Mint pulled them from production. They were struck with the reverse die of the 2007 edition. The key to spotting the coin is in the letter “u.”

The regular 2008 coin has a spur on the right side of the letter, while the 2007 coin doesn’t have a spur or a downstroke. The error makes this coin a great collector’s piece. The combination of the two coins can fetch up to $1,000 at auction.

5. 1879 $4 Gold Stella

Iowa congressman Rep. John Kasson proposed a $4 coin in 1879 to mimic the coins of Europe. Europe attempted to create a universal currency at the time, and Kasson wanted to follow suit.

Unfortunately, the production was never approved. Still, some of these coins are floating around. In 2021, the Smithsonian sold one set of coins for over $5,000.

6. 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Penny

Image Credit: Victor David Brenne/Wiki Commons.

This penny may have been worth one cent in 1955, but it’s worth much more in 2024. Thousands of these pennies were released before the Mint discovered the double-printed “Liberty” and “In God We Trust.” Experts believe up to 15,000 of these coins might still be in circulation.

Depending on its quality and appearance, a penny can be worth as little as $1,800 or as much as $24,000 at an auction.

7. 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle

Augustus Saint Gaudens designed the original coin worth $20 in 1905. In 1933, the government issued a gold recall, and most of the coins were recalled and melted down.

Naturally, some were saved and have survived over the years. The coins are beyond rare, making collectors go wild when one is found. An excellent conditioned coin in the Louis E. Eliasberg collection sold for $3 million. It’s only the second coin discovered.

8. 1894-S Barber Dime

Famous coin designer Charles Barber created this rare dime in 1894. Just 24 of the coins were made, and as of today, only 9 are known to still exist.

One of these dimes garnered a $2 million bid at a 2016 auction. Recently, another one showed up in the possession of Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers.

9. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel

This is one of the rare coins that collectors still believe to exist. Experts believe that only five may still be around today.

The prominent letter “V” led scammers to pass the coin off as a $5 piece. Uniformed merchants believed the “V” was a Roman numeral for 5, making them fall for the easy hoax. The famous coin received media attention, driving the price to $4.5 million at a Philadelphia auction in 2018.

10. Flowing Hair Dollar

The Flowing Hair dollar is believed to be the first silver dollar the United States issued in 1794. Both the 1794 and 1795 coins are collectible, but the real treasure is the 1794 piece. Collectors believe only 150 of the 200 casts are still around today.

If you want to add these to your collection, you’ll have to pull out your checkbook. One of these sold for $250,000 at an auction.

11. 1943-S Lincoln Wheat Penny

During WW II, copper was needed for ammunition, forcing the U.S. Mint to switch to zinc-coated steel coins. Still, some sheets of copper were left in the factory, and some of the 1942 pennies were made from the original metal.

In 2012, rare coin dealer Legend Numismatics rated one of these pennies as pristine. Texas Rangers co-chairman Bob R. Simpson paid $1 million to add the piece to his collection.

12. Morgan Silver Dollar

Designer George Morgan saw his silver dollar coin circulate from 1878 to 1904. The coin features Liberty on one side, and an eagle with its wings outstretched on the tail side.

Over the years, many of these coins have been melted down and repurposed. Those who held onto these rare silver dollars are in for a surprise. Depending on the condition, these coins can vary in value. The highest-valued coin was sold in 2015 for $55,000.

13. 2005-D 5C Speared Bison

In 2005, the U.S. government decided to remake its once-famous bison Jefferson nickel. Due to a die-gouge flaw on the back of the bison, the coin immediately caught the eye of clever collectors. Within a couple of days, the coins were selling for over $100.

Since these are newer coins, and only some know about the flaws, most of these coins could be in better condition. However, if you have a near-mint coin, they can bring in as much as $2,600.

14. 2005 Kansas “In God We Rust” State Quarter

Whoever checked the final version of this coin made a silly blunder, which created an instant collector’s item. While it’s not necessarily rare, it is fun to dig through your change and find this quarter with the wrong words cast on it.

You won’t get rich if you find this embarrassing coin. But it makes for a fun topic of conversation. Still, some of these pieces can sell for $500 on eBay.

15. 1885 Trade Dollar – PR66 Ex

There’s a cloud of mystery surrounding this particular coin. It was pressed in 1885 but wasn’t released until 25 years later. You can search all you want, but there are zero remaining documents to prove that they even exist. Today, there are only five known to exist. The trade dollar coin sold for just over $2 million in 2021.