Could valuable coins be hiding in plain sight in your home? Most people have a change jar, or some other place for keeping loose money that doesn’t stay in their wallets or bank accounts. Pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters accumulate easily when you’re given back change for your purchases, or when you find them on the ground, in couch cushions or in the laundry. While spare change doesn’t seem like anything other than face-value, there are certainly some pieces that are worth more. Could you have valuable coins mixed with your spare change? The following post will highlight some examples of the not-so-uncommon valuable coins that could be mixed with your loose savings.
Sacagawea dollar coins
How much is a Sacagawea dollar worth? These coins — also called “golden dollars” — were first produced in the year 2000, and have been re-introduced a handful of times since then. According to Work and Money, there have been at least four different Sacagawea commemorative dollars that are worth more than the $1.00 face value. These valuable coins were produced with accidental errors, including some that were struck with a copper-nickel planchet instead of manganese-bronze, which is what was intended for all Sacagawea coins. These mistakes have increased the worth of some of the coins, which have sold for as much as $7,000!
Furthermore, if you happen to get your hands on a commemorative “Cheerios” Sacagawea dollar, then you’ve definitely found something worth money. These coins were placed in every 2000th box of Cheerios, and each one can be valued as high as $8,000.
1982 Roosevelt dime
How much is the 1982 Roosevelt Dime worth? If it has a mint mark on it, then it’s probably only worth 10 cents. However, an error in the production of these coins allowed for the release of some that lacked a mint stamp. Most coins are stamped with a single letter to indicate where they were minted. The letters are usually D for Denver, S for San Francisco or P for Philadelphia — although there are others. The 1982 Roosevelt dime without a mint stamp is a valuable coin! If you find one of these dimes in your change stash, it could be worth as much as $50.00!
1995 doubled-die Lincoln penny
The penny is everyone’s least-favorite coin, but some of them are worth far more than a single cent. In this particular penny, a stamping error caused the words “Liberty” and “In God We Trust,” to be doubled, creating an almost blurred appearance to the letters. This “doubled-die” error has increased the value of those particular pennies to be worth as much as $40.00!
2005-D ‘Speared bison’ nickel
The 2005 Jefferson bison nickel, produced by the Denver Mint, is an exceedingly rare and valuable coin. This nickel was produced with several errors related to the planchet that was used to stamp it. Multiple gouges and scratches are visible on these coins due to that machinery. However, the most valuable error is appearance of a spear through the body of the bison on the back of the coin. That is why it’s referred to as the “speared bison” nickel. If you find one of these in your change jar, it could fetch you as much as $1,200.
How much are old coins worth?
Look at the dates that are stamped on some of your loose change. It’s highly common to find coins that range from the 1960s to present-day — and you may even find some pennies from as long ago as the 1930s. However, very old coins do find their way in and out of circulation, and some are quite valuable. The 1913 Liberty head nickel is one of those incredibly valuable coins, and it is also very rare. If you happen to find one of these nickels in your change stash, it could be worth more than $4 Million. The 1964 Jefferson “two-headed” nickel, isn’t as old as the previously-mentioned coin, but if you find one of these it could be worth over $1 Million.
Now that you know that there are some very valuable coins in circulation, saving change may become more than just a way to keep track of loose currency. It could become a time-consuming hobby searching for coins that hold value, but in the end it could be absolutely worth it.
