US coins and bills worth far more than their face value (2024)

Thousands of Wisconsin state extra leaf quarters were issued in error by the Denver Mint in 2004.There are two varieties of the quarter available to find, which is incorrectdue to the presence of an extra cornstalk leaf in its design.

Variety one is the low leaf version, which depicts an arched leaf jutting out sideways on the reverse of the coin, while variety two is the high leaf version, which shows an additional leaf poking out of the cheese wheel that touches the corn husk leaf.These coins can be worth up to $400 each – so if you find one in your change, make sure you hang onto it!

You'll have hit the jackpot if you discover one of these babies in your change. Astonishingly, only 50 of the 1969-S doubled die Lincoln pennies escaped the mint and made it into circulation – and it's safe to say that their value far exceeds one cent.

Michigan-based collector Michael Tremonti found one in 2007 while searching through a 50-coin roll and it was later valued at a sensational $126,500. Another sample of the coin sold in auction for $85,100 in 2007. It pays to check your change, people...

If you've got some very old bills stashed away at home, you might want to check for state-issued notes. After all, many of these are worth significantly more than their face value.

This Alaskan banknote, for instance, was printed during the state's famous Klondike Gold Rush and was among the first $5 bills issued by the First National Bank of Fairbanks. It was sold in 2012 by Heritage Auctions for an incredible $246,750.

According to Heritage Auctions: "when it comes to finest known, few coins in the three-dollar gold series hold that status with as much clout and significance" as this 1855-S example, which sold for a record high of $264,000 in September.

With a Mint State classification, this coin is one of just seven in such good condition. Its final sale price was substantially higher than the previous record for a similar 1855-S, which realized $64,625 at auction back in 2017.

During World War II, pennies were struck in zinc-coated steel, with copper reserved for the war effort. That said, a tiny batch was accidentally minted in copper, and it's believed that around 20 of the erroneous Philadelphia and San Francisco-minted coins arefloating around today.

In 1947, 16-year-old Don Lutes Jrdiscovered one of the coins in his lunch money change. Lutes kept it until 2019, when he sold it at auction for a whopping $204,000, with Heritage Auctions describing the coin as "the Holy Grail of mint errors."

So how can you tell if you've got one of the incredibly rare 1943 copper pennies? Use a magnet. Steel pennies will stick, while the valuable copper rarities won't.

First minted in around 1652, this silver shilling is one of the earliest coins from Colonial New England.There are just a few-dozen known to exist,and while a shilling in 1650 is the equivalent of about $7 today, this example (pictured) sold for a whopping $351,912 at auction in November 2021, smashing past its original$300,000 estimate.

The coin was originally minted in Boston but ended up being discovered a long way from home in a candy tin in Northumberland, England.

It's been estimated that just five or six 1833 Quarter Eagle $2 proofs exist, and the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS)has certified just one: this example that sold for $408,000 in September this year. According to Heritage Auctions, many of the other copies were melted down.

On the reverse, the coin has the traditional US motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" ("one from many"), which was discontinued on subsequent Classic Head designs and didn't make a reappearance until 1908.

This 1909-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle gold coin had a face value of just $20. However, an example sold for a stunning $480,000 at Heritage Auctions last month.

The recently sold specimen is tied for the second-finest known example of the coin. Only 52,000 of these rare coins were initially minted, and high-grade examples have remained undiscovered for decades. This impressive coin was from the famed Norweb Collection of 1988 (Part III).

At its second-ever auction appearance in September this year, this 1854 Deep Cameo gold dollar sold for $720,000. Halfway through 1854, the Philadelphia Mint started producing Type 2 gold dollars. These were thinner and had a larger diameter than Type 1 coins, which many people complained were too difficult to locate in a pocket or purse. As a result, this example is one of the last Type 1 coins ever produced.

The dollar was previously sold at auction in 1985when it was bought by collector Harry Bass for $68,750 – the equivalent of around $189,640 today.

A prototype version of the US Mint's first dollar coin sold at Heritage Auctions inApril last yearfor $840,000, way above its $350,000-$500,000 estimate.

The copper coin, known as a pattern, was reputedly discovered at the site of the first Philadelphia Mint back in the late 19th century. It's similar to the silver dollar coins that later went into circulation, bar the fact that it's missing the stars that appeared around the "flowing hair" portrait of Liberty.The coin was from the collection of Bob Simpson, the businessman and Texas Rangers co-chairman, who purchased it in 2008.

"Expertly produced, carefully preserved, and visually appealing." That's how Stack's Bowers Galleries described this 1792 copper disme (the old term for a dime) when it came up for auction in August.

Featuring a bust of Liberty on one side and an eagle with spread wings on the other, the coin is the second-finest known example of its kind and can be traced back to before 1908. It sold for $900,000, a whopping 90 million times its face value of 10 cents!

The 1924-S Double Eagle is widely regarded as one of the rarest American gold coins. In August,the finest example of one fetched$930,000 at Heritage Auctions, far more than its $20 face value.

Dubbed a "wonder coin," the 1924-S Double Eagle is described by experts as being "far superior" and better preserved than any other known example of the exceedingly rare coin.

Only 100 1875 $10 Liberty coins were struck by the Philadelphia Mint, making this an example of "the lowest mintage regular-issue U.S. gold coin,"according to Heritage Auctions.

In October this year, one example (pictured) sold for $1.02 million, setting a new auction record. In fact, the final price when the hammer fell was almost three times as high as the coin's previous sale price of $372,000 back in 2018.

While around two-dozen specimens of the Philadelphia-minted 1943 copper penny are known to exist, just one example struck at the Denver Mint has been discovered. As a result, the truly unique coin is worth an absolute fortune.

In fact, the penny,which was discovered for the very first time in 1979,was sold for a jaw-dropping $1.7 million by New Jersey's Legend Numismatics back in September 2010.

Very few 1907 Rolled Gold Edge Eagle $10 coins are known to be surviving today, and collectors have entered into fierce bidding wars to get their hands on these elusive coins.

One of the coins, referred to as the "finest example...known today,"sold for $2.2 million at auction in January 2011. Over 6,700 people took part in the bidding war, which was hosted by Heritage Auctions in Tampa, Florida.

According to Heritage Auctions, just 268 examples of the 1854-S Liberty Half Eagle were minted,of which only four are known about today. When the coin was discovered by an anonymous New England collector in 2018, experts thought it might be one that was notoriously stolen from the collection of American banker Willis du Pont in 1967.

Tests later confirmed that it was a different coin, however, meaning it could be sold at auction. It fetched $2.16 million in 2018 and was sold again just three years later, netting a cool $2.4 million in its second-ever public offering in August last year.

Setting what was then a world record for a rare banknote sale, this 1891 red seal $1,000 treasury note sold for an astonishing $2.5 million at auction in 2013, far exceeding its estimate value of $2 million.

One of two surviving specimens, the high denomination note is every collector's dream acquisition. It features a portrait of George Meade, the USmilitary man who played a crucial role in the American Civil War.

Worth millions more than its face value, the very first penny struck by the United States Mint is the Holy Grail cent coin for collectors.

Nicknamed after its engraverRobert Birch, the "Birch Cent" is likely to have been handled by both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, further adding to its prestige. With just 10 in existence, this particular coin was snapped up in 2015 for $2.6 million by delighted collector Kevin Lipton.

The super-rare and world-famous 1890 Grand Watermelon $1,000 treasury note exceeded all expectations when it fetched a staggering $3.3 million at auction in 2014, making it the world's most valuable banknote.

The bill is so named on account of the green zeros on the note's reverse, which have been likened to watermelons. Prior to this, the note was last sold at auction in 1970, when it went under the hammer for $11,000 ($79k in today's money).

An 1825 Capped Head Left Half Eagle, the finest known proof of its kind, went under the hammer at Stack's Bowers Galleries in August this year. It was never recorded how many proofs were struck but just three are known to exist today, making this coin incredibly rare. After being off the market for around 50 years, it eventually sold for $4.08 million – nearly twice as much as its upper estimate, and over 800,000 times higher than its $5 face value.

Its sale price made it the most valuable pre-1834 American gold proof ever sold at auction, as well asthe second-most valuable $5 gold coin of any kind.

A 1927-D Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle coin sold for an astounding $4.4 million at Heritage Auctions in August. Before you check your change, though, it's worth noting that just 14 examples of this ultra-rare coin have ever been traced.

The recently sold example fetched the highest ever sale price for the 1927-D Double Eagle, smashing the previous record of $2.16 million in 2020.

This 1821 Capped Head $5 coin, the only proof in private hands, sold for an incredible $4.62 million at the end of September this year. Even though almost 35,000 copies of the coin were minted in 1821, proofs are rare, with only two examples known to exist, one of which is kept at the Smithsonian Institution.

Adding to its appeal, this particular example has a distinguished past and was once owned by the Egyptian King Farouk. As Heritage Auctions Vice President Todd Imhof put it: "This is an extraordinary coin that brought an extraordinary result."

Described as "the King of American coins," only 15 examples of the 1804 Bust dollar – aka the Bowed Liberty dollar coin – are known to exist, and the finest Class I pieces command sky-high prices.

While they're dated 1804, the coins were actually struck during or after the 1830s. One specimen sold for $4.1 million in 1999, while another fetched $3.9 million at auction in 2013. Most recently, an example from the 1835 collection of the Sultan of Muscat sold for $7.68 million in August 2021.

This 1822 Capped Bust Half Eagle briefly became the world's most valuable gold US coin when it sold for $8.4 million on 25 March 2021. According to the PCGS, the coin has only been sold a few times in the last century, with just three known examples in existence.

Unlike other entries on our list, however, this coin hasn't always been rare. Almost 18,000 copies of the coin were originally minted – so there are potentially more out there still waiting to be found.

The finest example of just seven known 1787 New York-Style Brasher Doubloons, this gold coin hit the headlines in January 2021 when it sold for a huge $9.36 million via Heritage Auctions.

Discovered in 1848, this particular coin caused a storm as it has only been publicly sold twice since its first discovery, reaching record prices both times. Prior to the 2021 sale, it went for $725,000 in 1979, holding the record of the world's most valuable coin for a decade.While it might no longer be the world's most valuable coin, it certainly comes very close to the top spot.

An extremely rare Double Eagle coin sold for a record price of $18.9 million at a Sotheby's auction on 8 June last year. The coin now holds the record for the most expensive ever sold, more than doubling the previous record.Remarkably, the coin's face value is just $20. Its value is due to the fact that the 1933 edition never actually entered circulation, with most examples returned to and melted down by the US government. However, it's believed that 13 coins did make it into circulation, and in 1944 the Secret Service declared that if any collectors possessed any of the coins, they would be considered stolen.

This coin was only able to be sold by a private collector after a legal battle between the United States Treasury and a former owner of the coin, who was granted possession. The coin was then sold to the shoe designer Stuart Weitzman in 2002 for $7.6 million,which set a record at the time, before Weitzman put it up for sale again in 2021.

Now read abouthow the US dollar has changed over time