5 Rarest and Most Valuable Coins in the World… Where Are They?
- Posted on 14th April 2021
- in Antique Coins
- by Antique Coins Buyers
Coins have an intrinsic value all on their own, but they are made even more valuable by the fact that they are popular collector’s items. Antique coin buyers and antique coin dealers consider a few factors when determining the value of a coin. The most important factor is the mintage, or how many coins of a particular type were minted in a year. Over time, the number of coins of a particular mintage dwindles as they are destroyed. That means that the number of coins that remain in circulation helps set the value.
The demand for a particular type of coin among rare coin buyers also determines its value. The melt value of the metal that a coin is made of (gold, silver, copper, nickel, etc.) also helps determine its value. The grade and condition of a coin also influence its value to local coin buyers. Finally, the amount of dealer stock of a particular coin helps determine its value. When all those factors combine in the right way, the result is a rare coin of great value. In this article, we will look at the five rarest and most valuable coins in the world. Rare coin collectors fantasize about these!
#5. 1804 Silver Dollar- Class 1 (the Watters-Childs Specimen)
Image Source – Wiki
The 1804 Silver Dollar-Class 1 (the Watters-Childs Specimen) is a rare and beautiful example of early US currency. The front features the Grecian profile of a woman with flowing hair that contains a bow, a draped bust, and a Grecian profile that is surrounded by the word liberty, stars, and the date 1804. It was sold for $4,140,000 on August 30, 1990, by Bowers & Merena. Its superior condition and historic significance, as well as its ownership by the Sultan of Muscat, got another bid of $10,575,000 when it was put up for auction again in 2016, but that failed to reach the consignor’s reserve price and it was not sold.
#4. 1913 Liberty Head Nickle
Image Source – Wiki
Graceful and elegant, the 1913 Liberty Head nickel features Lady Liberty’s head in profile surrounded by stars, with the date 1913 stamped underneath on the front of the coin. It was sold for $4,560.00 in August of 2018 by Stack’s Bowers at the ANA U.S. Coins Auction in Philadelphia, PA. Its value was driven by the fact that it is only one of five surviving Liberty Head nickels and its superior condition. It has a striking reflective surface (mirror quality) on the field. It is the only one of the five with that quality, earning its price-tag.
#3.1933 Double Eagle
Image Source – Wiki
This 1933 Double Eagle twenty-dollar gold piece features the personification of Liberty on the front, dressed in a toga and presenting a torch in one hand and an olive branch in the other. The US Capitol building is depicted beneath her feet, and she has stars around her and the words Liberty and 1933 are embossed on the front. The back has an eagle in flight with In God We Trust and a sun rising underneath it. It was sold for $7,590,020 on July 30, 2002, by Sotheby’s and Stacks. When President Roosevelt issued an executive order recalling all the Double Eagle coins, they were melted by the U.S. mint. A handful escaped being melted and are illegal to own. This one was owned by King Farouk of Egypt. A deal was struck by the private owner and the Mint to sell this one and split the proceeds.
#2. 1787 Brasher Dubloo
Image Source – Wiki
The Brasher Dubloon is a beautiful and rare coin. It features the classic image of an eagle on the front, clutching an olive branch in one claw and a quiver of arrows in the other claw. It is encircled with the motto “E Pluribus Unum. Made of gold (which has the best melt value), it was minted in 1787 by Ephraim Brasher. Its status as the first US gold coin minted five years before the US mint even opened gives it special status among rare coin buyers. Three separate specimens of this coin have recently been sold for millions of dollars each. One was sold for $4,582,500 on January 9, 2014, at Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas. Another was sold to a private collector for $7,395,000 in December of 2011 by Blanchard and Company. A third one was sold for a whopping $9,360,000 on January 21, 2021, by Heritage Auctions in Dallas, Texas.
#1. Flowing Hair Silver Dollar
Image Source – coinweek
The Flowing Hair Silver Dollar is a striking and elegant example of some of the earliest silver dollars minted by the United States. The front features the profile of a woman with flowing hair. She is surrounded by stars and has liberty engraved above her and the year 1794 below her. It was sold for a staggering $10,016,875 on January 24, 2013, by Stack’s Bowers Galleries. For over 200 years, antique coin buyers have preserved this coin in mint condition. It is only an example of an existing 1794 silver dollar with a mirror-like reflection on the fields and perfectly frosted devices. Antique coin dealers consider this a once in a lifetime coin, earning the title of the rarest and most valuable coin in the world.
Related posts:
Tags: antique coin dealers, Antique Coins, Rare Coins, Rare Coins Dealers, Sell Old Rare Coins