Vintage coins are among the most valuable collectibles to invest in. Besides being just forms of investment, these coins are essential pieces of a country’s history and heritage. The value of these coins is generally based on how rare they are and how important they are to the nation’s history. Individuals planning to invest in rare coins can benefit from knowing some of the most valuable pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
1. 1969 Penny With Doubled Die
When planning to collect or invest in valuable vintage coins, one must first know what makes certain coins rare. Among a few factors that do, the most common one is minting errors. A double die is a kind of minting error, which means that the coin was struck twice with the same casting tool. This creates a subtle overlapping of the inscriptions on the coin. This is what happened with 50 of the 1969 pennies, which makes them extremely rare and valuable. Usually, the price of vintage coins is based on their present condition. So, currently, the price of a 1969 penny with a doubled die is somewhere in the range of $30,000 to $100,000. If the coin is preserved in a shiny mint condition, one can expect it to cost nearly $100,000.
2. 1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny
When it comes to collectible vintage coins, the 1943 Bronze Lincoln Penny stands out as one of the most valuable coins people look out for. The main reason for this is that the coin is made from bronze—an alloy of copper and tin. While this in itself is not such a rare occurrence, in 1943, it was considered a rarity. This is because, during that time, the government required all the copper it could get to make ammunition for World War II. Because of this, pennies or cents were made from steel in 1943. But during the transition, the Mint had certain copper planchets remaining from 1942 which had been accidentally struck along with the 1943 dies. So, this is another error that made these coins extremely rare. These pennies can be valued between $400,000 and $1,000,000.
3. 1944 Steel Lincoln Penny
The government did switch to making steel pennies in 1943 because it required copper for World War II ammunition. But, the government also made sure that this was only a temporary measure. So, while the Mint was meant to resume making bronze pennies in 1944, an error similar to that of the 1943 bronze pennies occurred. The Mint accidentally used some leftover steel planchets to make 1944 pennies. This made the steel pennies of 1944 rank among the most valuable rare coins. Currently, these pennies could be valued at around $250,000.
4. 1918/7 Buffalo Nickel
Even the First World War had impacted coin minting, making certain coins extremely rare and valuable. Among these, one group of coins is the 1918 over 7 Buffalo Nickels. A minting error contributed to the rarity of these coins. When the coins are minted, the Mint uses date hubs to inscribe the year onto them. In the case of these coins, two different hubs were used. This means the coins were first minted with 1917 inscribed in them and later using the 1918 hub. This led to the creation of what is called an “overdated” coin. One can clearly see in these coins that the “8” of 1918 is inscribed over a 7. These coins are currently valued at around $350,000.
5. 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
One of the most expensive vintage coins to exist, the 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is valued to be somewhere around $5 million. What makes this coin so rare and valuable is that it was originally thought to be lost and then rediscovered. Moreover, there are only five of these coins, which adds to its rarity. There are a lot of different stories circulating about how this coin came to be, with one of the most popular ones being that Samuel Brown, an employee of the Mint, had made them secretly and stolen them.
6. 1965 Roosevelt Silver Dime
In 1965, the government decided to transition from silver dimes to nickel and copper dimes since the latter was cheaper. But despite the decision, some silver dimes were minted during the year using the wrong die. Because of this, the 1965 Roosevelt Silver Dimes turned out to be heavier than other dimes, making them rare. Due to this anomaly, these dimes are currently valued at somewhere around $7,000.
7. 1975 No S Roosevelt Dime (Proof)
Proof coins are the ones that are minted solely for collection purposes. One such proof coin from 1975, the No S Roosevelt Dime, is valued at somewhere around $400,000. The reason for this value, besides the purpose of the coin minting, is its rarity. Only two of such coins are known to be in existence. And yet another factor is that there is no “S” minted on these coins, which sets them apart from other dimes.
8. 1796 Draped Bust Quarter
One of the oldest coins on the list, the 1796 Draped Bust Quarter is the first ever quarter minted in the country. This itself makes this coin an extremely important piece of history, contributing to its value. Further, only around 6,100 of these coins were minted in 1796, which also makes this coin so rare. The coin would currently be valued at somewhere between $3,000 and $15,000, based on its condition.