People have always been fascinated by coin collections, whether for earning money or simply for a hobby.
Take a look at these valuable pennies and learn more about why they’re worth more than $5.5 million in total.
1804 Silver Dollar Class I
The 1804 Silver Dollar is also known as the “King of Coins” and consists of three different classes. I sold one class for about 4.1 million dollars.
Despite the fact that the coins are labeled “1804”, none of them were minted during that time. They were actually minted after the 1830s. The front is adorned with the image of Lady Liberty and has the word “liberty” inscribed on it. The back of the coin displays a golden eagle with 13 stars.
1922-D Lincoln, No D, Strong Reverse, Die Pair 2
This coin is composed of tin, copper, and zinc and weighs an official 3.11 grams. Due to Denver Mint's damaged die, this coin doesn't have a mint mark.
This coin has a sharper image on the back than on its obverse side. This can be attributed to the fresh head die. The Die Pair 2 is deemed the "true" version of all its versions. In 2018 it was sold in Baltimore for $63,000.
1873 Doubled ‘Closed 3’ Indian Head Penny
This “Indian One Cent” penny has two different pattern designs. The gap in the number “three” in the year “1873” is what makes this penny special. This gap is considered an “Open 3” if it is wide enough. If it is not, it is referred to as a “Closed 3”.
The “Closed 3” was considered more valuable because of its dual appearance and the fact that there were only one million in circulation at the time. This coin weighed about 3.11 grams and was made out of copper, tin, and zinc. It was sold for $12,650.
1914-S Lincoln Penny
This bronze coin weighs an average of 3.11 grams and has a diameter of 19mm. Its bright red color can be attributed to a higher percentage of copper. Due to good preservation techniques and reduced circulation, this color managed not to fade.
This penny was minted in San Francisco, along with more than four million others. This color was sold in its original red color in August 2006. Its previous owners, Bowers and Merena, managed to sell it for $105,800.
1907 Golden Eagle Wire Edge
The Ten Dollar Liberty Head Gold Eagle was designed by Christian Gobrecht and was minted between 1838 and 1907. It is considered one of the most used coins in the history of the United States since its mintage stretched on for 69 years. The obverse depicts an incredible rendition of Lady Liberty with a Coronet that has the word “liberty” engraved on it.
The reverse side has a triumphant heraldic eagle on display. The coin is extremely valuable because only a few final issues are still around in their graded mint state of 64. One coin was sold for a shocking 2.8 million dollars in 2017.
1793 Flowing Hair Liberty Cap Large Cent Penny
This cent displays the beautiful Miss Liberty and has multiple subtypes. The Liberty Cap Cent was type 3 and was issued in late 1793. The cap was added in remembrance of the revolutionary war in America.
Its initial weight was 13.48 grams but was later reduced to 11 grams. This reduction caused most of them to have plain edges, which was later considered a rare characteristic. This copper coin was sold for 19,950 dollars on eBay.
1922 Lincoln No D Strong Reverse and Weak Obverse Wheat Penny
This version of the coin can clearly be distinguished from its other two versions. Its edges are quite sharp on the head side, which can be attributed to the fresh die. This can not be said for the obverse side, which once had a blurry head.
Not only did it miss the mint mark, but the number of certified coins was far less than the actual number. This is due to the NGC’s refusal of attribution for more than 15 years. It’s hard to imagine that this 3.11-gram bronze coin sold for $48,000.
2007 C$1M Coin
The size of this coin is the first on this list to match its price. The enormous 100kg C$1M coin of 2007 consists of 99.999% gold and is considered one of the most symbolic coins to date.
Despite the fact that its face value was set at a million, it actually sold at an auction for $4.1 million. However, the price inflation is understandable when one considers that the Royal Canadian Mint minted the coin for a special occasion.
1969 S Lincoln Penny Doubled Die Obverse
This penny also weighs 3.11 grams and is made of zinc and copper. It is a known fact that it was minted in San Francisco. The improper preparation of the die actually caused this coin to develop its double image. This double coin was deemed special in 1970 when people began to forge it so they could cash in.
The government destroyed five of these coins to avoid such consequences. In January 2008, an uncirculated, red-brown colored double die obverse penny was sold for 126,500 dollars.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel
The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is one of the most valuable coins in the entire world. The reason behind the shocking price tag is only five of these coins made it to the public, and the rest were destroyed. There have been talks over the years indicating there might be a sixth one, but nothing has been confirmed yet.
The finest 1913 Liberty Nickel was valued at $5 million minimum, and it was sold at that price in 2007. In 2018, the club was resold at only $4,56,0004.
1933 Double Eagle
Titled as the notorious coin of America, the 1933 Double Eagle is valuable to any investor or collector, but owning it hasn’t been a breeze. For starters, it’s almost illicit to own it.
Secondly, the coin has been known to bring bad luck to the handful who got a hold of it. Another case of Condition Rarity is that these coins weren’t made to be circulated to the public, but somehow, they were released. Only a few made it through the long years since then, and one of these is thought to be worth around $7.6 million.
1944-D Lincoln Penny
This penny is made of zinc-coated silver and weighs about 2.70 grams. It was mistakenly made by striking a blank silver coin in 1943. However, copper planchets were used again in 1944.
There are records of the silver coins having both “S” and “D” mint marks, but the estimated number of Denver mints is no more than ten. Heritage Auctions sold an uncirculated coin in August 2007, and it was worth about $115,000.
1787 Brasher Doubloon
The 1787 Brasher Doubloon symbolizes one of the biggest moments of American numismatic history. This was the first gold coin the U.S. minted. The most expensive one features the Brasher hallmark initials that were indented onto the breast of the eagle, the first and last of its kind.
It’s composed of 89% gold, 6% silver, and 9% copper, and the remaining is a blend of other elements. Recently, it was placed back on the market and is thought to be worth around $7.4 million.
1877 Indian Head Penny
This Indian Head penny is the rarest of all in the series. As mentioned before, fully red Indian Head pennies are very hard to come by. In addition to that, only 852,500 coins were ever produced.
About ten million cents were returned due to economic depression, and 9,821,500 of them were reissued. Needless to say that this penny was one of the few to come this far. Its copper-red color remained the same when it was sold in August 2007 by Heritage Auctions for $149,500.
1926-S Lincoln Penny
This 3.11-gram penny was minted in San Francisco. For an unknown reason, the mintage numbers were low that year. The details of the typical coins in 1926 were poor on both sides due to the heavily used dies. However, this particular penny exceptionally belongs to the few coins that were struck with fresh ones.
This one was found in excellent condition and was sold in January 2006 in Orlando. Heritage Auctions made $149,500 from this beautiful piece from their collection.
1864 Indian Head Penny With ‘L’ on the Ribbon
Some time in the middle of 1864, the government switched from a copper-nickel mix to a bronze alloy, which led this coin to be composed of copper, tin, and zinc. They also added the letter “L” on the ribbon’s tail of Lady Liberty.
Among the five million of them, a very low number remained in uncirculated condition. Heritage Auctions sold this 3.11-gram coin in Pittsburgh in October 2011. Its value amounted to $161,000.
1914-D Lincoln Penny
These pennies had to go through a lot. These have a record of poor survival rates due to a higher circulation rate. Those that survived are not likely to be in a good condition. Many of the collectors even faked these coins by altering the 1944 D Lincoln Pennies.
However, 1914 D cents have smaller mintmarks, and the gap between nine and four is easily noticeable. An uncirculated penny made $158,625 in May 2018. This 3.11-gram coin consists of copper, tin, and zinc.
1872 Indian Head Penny
Another bronze coin weighing about 3.11 grams is this Indian Head Penny that was sold in Milwaukee in August 2007. This completely red coin is truly rare and is the lowest minted among the Indian Head series.
These coins are not only rare to find in the present time but are also only found in very poor conditions. However, this penny was from a fresh die and was found in an excellent and uncirculated condition. It made $126,500 for the Heritage Auctions.
1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny
This 3.11-gram copper-red coin is an example of one of the most popular coin mistakes in history. It consists of copper, tin, and zinc. These pennies were mistakenly struck in bronze in 1943. In the year 1947, a high school student found this coin in his pocket change.
For the first time, this coin was sold in January 2019 by Heritage Auctions. However, some reports state that, in 2013, Stack Bowers Galleries made $164,500 from another one of these bronze coins.
1795 Reeded Edge Cent
One of the rarest or of all-important big cent varieties, the 1785 Reeded Edge suffers from Condition Rarity. There are only seven confirmed survivors, all of which are in low grade. The finest known is a VG10 coin graded by PCGS.
In 2008, this became the first large cent that had a selling price of a million dollars and beyond, at $1.26 million. These coins weren’t meant for the general public, they were more of the experimental kind, which explains why only seven are left.
1943-D Lincoln Bronze Penny
Instead of zinc-plated silver, the 1943-D Lincoln Bronze coin was produced from a bronze alloy. This coin is the only identified reference of its type from the Denver Mint. However, around twenty coins consisting of the bronze alloy were found in each of the Mints in Philadelphia and San Francisco.
This Denver-minted coin made from copper and tin weighs only 3.11 grams. It was in New Jersey in 2010 that it made $1,700,000 for Legend Numismatics in a private sale.
1856 Flying Eagle Penny
This iconic 4.70-gram coin was made from a copper-nickel alloy. It was issued for a really short period of time. The government reduced the size in diameter and mixed copper with other materials in 1856 due to cost issues. Meanwhile, foreign gold and silver coins were also replaced by the Flying Eagle pennies.
Somehow, these coins were discontinued soon and replaced by the Indian Head pennies. Due to its design and rare existence, it drew the attention of many and was sold in 2004 for $172,500.
1909 V.D.B. Matte Proof Lincoln Penny
These are the very first Lincoln pennies. At the bottom, the initials of the designer “V.D.B” were tagged, although they were removed afterward. Unlike other pennies with initials, this one was struck with a matte-proof die.
Before the removal of the initials, only 1,194 coins were produced in this way. This 3.11-gram coin made from copper, tin, and zinc was found in excellent condition and made $258,500 for Heritage Auctions in August 2014.
1343 Edward III Florin
While some coins are old and some are older, this one is literally ancient. All the way back from 1343, Edward III Florin’s coins sell for that much of a price as only three of these are known to have survived for centuries.
The coin is called the “double leopard,” and at the time of inception, it went for six shillings. The calculated present-day withstands at $6.8 million, the price it went for a few years ago in an auction.
1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny
This 3.11-gram penny was also mistakenly coined in bronze, like the 1943-D Bronze Lincoln penny. As there was no mint mark engraved, this was minted in Philadelphia.
Sources report the existence of not more than a dozen Philadelphia 1943 bronze cents, of which two were recently certified. Besides, this is the only coin that is certified as a “red” penny from 1943, minted in Philadelphia. This coin was privately sold for $1 million in Florida in 2018.
1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
The Saint-Gaudens double edge can easily be considered one of the most beautiful coins ever produced by the United States. President Roosevelt had appointed renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens the designing a new $20 gold coin with a view to reviving the coinage system of the U.S., which had become a stale topic back in the day.
The coin was mainly minted in a high-relief design. This became a problem after the coin expired, so the relief was reduced to ease production. The coin is thought to be worth around $7.6 million.
1943-S Lincoln Cent
This 3.11-gram bronze penny is another good example of coin errors. It was mistakenly struck on bronze instead of a zinc-plated steel planchet. It is supposed that only half a dozen or even fewer of these coins have survived to date.
One of those six coins, minted in San Francisco, was certified as the second finest 1943-S bronze cent. It was sold in California in February 2016 and was worth $282,000.
1958 Doubled Die Obverse, Lincoln Penny
This bronze coin weighs 3.11 grams. The double image on it is the result of damaged dies or minting errors. This belongs to a rare type, and it is believed that only three of its kind have survived to date.
The coin is made from copper, tin, and zinc. The red color has added extra value to it. In March 2018, it was sold for $336,000 at Stacks Bowers Galleries Auction at the Baltimore Coin Show.
1794/5 Flowing Hair Silver/Copper Dollar
That much for a coin? Is that even possible? Yes. The 1794/5 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar was sold at an auction in January 2013 for a whopping $10 million.
It was the first dollar issued by the United States government in coin form and was minted for only a year. The buyers expressed great pride after bagging the prized coin as it has a significant role to play in the numismatic history of the U.S.