Coins and money has always been a symbol of royalty and a lavish lifestyle. As civilization has changed, the importance of precious metals has not. Many coins have especially been made to commemorate important moments in history. Other coins have become significant because of their age, rarity, or uniqueness. The influence of coins has led to the adoption of numismatics, the study or collection of coins, paper currency, or metals. As people continued to become fascinated with the subject, prices of the world’s most expensive coins have continued to rise to record highs. The following coins are unattainable to the vast majority of coin collectors, but they command intense interest from wealthy collectors willing to spend millions on a single coin.
Each coin in this list has different aspects as to why it has become so valuable. Many of the coins are one of only a few in existence or were the first of their kind to be minted. The rarity of these coins has tremendously raised their value. The coins have become well-recognized around the world, being featured on shows like Hawaii Five-O. Many past collectors are also of high status, such as the Sultan of Muscat, Virgil Brand, and Louis E. Eliasberg Sr., while others have remained anonymous in their purchases. Learn more about these each of these special coins below.
- $3.9 Million – 1804 Silver Dollar, Class 1
- A Small “D” is printed in one of the clouds on the reverse to indicate it was owned by James V. Dexter, a well-known numismatist
- Only 8 known Class 1 coins are in existence
- Minted in 1834 to be used as diplomatic gifts
- It sold at Stack’s Bowers Galleries and Sotheby’s in 2017 for $3,865,750
- $4 Million – $1 Million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
- The first million-dollar face value coin, produced by the Royal Canadian Mint in 2007
- 99.999% pure with a weight of 100 kilograms
- In 2010, this coin was sold for $4,020,000 by Dorotheum Auction House in Vienna, Austria
- $4.5 Million – 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
- Eliasberg specimen
- Named after Louis E. Eliasberg Sr., who owned the coins as part of his impressive collection
- A different version used in the original Hawaii Five-O TV series sold for $3.7 million
- Sold at auction for $4,560,000 through Stack’s Bowers Galleries at the AMA’s World’s Fair of Money in Philadelphia in 2018
- $4.8 Million – 723 AD Umayyad Gold Dinar
- Approximately 1300-year-old Islamic coin (723 AD)
- Around one dozen Umayyad Gold Dinars are known to exist
- The gold came from a mine owned by the Caliph himself
- In 2019, Morton & Eden sold this coin for $4.78 million
- 5.3 Million – 1804 $10 Proof Gold Eagle
- Best quality of 3 known specimens
- Graded PR-65+ Deep Cameo by PCGS
- Struck to be used as diplomatic gifts as part of a proof set
- Only 4 specimens were struck, and only 3 are known to still exist
- Sold at Heritage Auctions for $5.28 million in 2021
- $6.8 Million – Edward III Florin
- Known as a “double leopard”
- Approximately 680 years old
- Only three of these coins are known to exist, with the other two in museums
- The other two were found in the river Tyne in 1857
- Found and later sold at an auction for $850,000 in 2006, now valued at $6.8 million
- $7.2 Million – 1861 $20 Paquet Liberty Head Double Eagle
- Graded MS-67
- Only two specimens are known to exist
- Minted only at the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints
- Sold for $7.2 million at Heritage Auctions in 2021
- $7.7 Million – 1804 Silver Dollar, Class 1
- Graded proof-68 by PCGS
- Known as the “King of American Coins”
- Minted in 1834 to be used as a diplomatic gift
- Past owners include The Sultan of Muscat, Henry Chapman, Virgil Brand, and the Poque Family
- This coin was sold for $7.68 million at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction in 2021
- $8.4 Million – 1822 Capped Bust Half Eagle
- Most valuable gold coin to sell at an auction at the time of sale
- One of three in existence
- Graded AU50 (almost uncirculated)
- Owned by Virgil Brand, Louis E. Eliasberg Sr., and D. Brent Pogue
- Purchased at Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ auction in 2021 for $8.4 million
- $9.4 Million – 1787 Brasher Doubloon
- Created by Ephraim Brasher to convince New York State to switch to copper coins instead of gold
- Brasher minted new coins against New York’s order in bronze, and a few in gold
- These coins are scarce, and valuable because of their story
- Graded Ms-65
- Different versions sold for $7.4 million in 2011 and $5.5 million in 2019
- This coin, seen with an “EB” stamped on the wing of the eagle, was purchased in 2021 for $9.36 million at Heritage Auctions
- $12 Million – 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar
- Because of the exquisite details from the dies used in the striking process, it is believed to be the first silver coin minted by the US Government
- Not meant for circulation, but for souvenirs given to dignitaries
- World’s most valuable silver coin
- Another specimen sold for $6.6 million in 2021
- Sold at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction in 2013 for just over $10 million
- Sold privately to GreatCollections in January 2022
- $18.9 Million – 1933 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle
- The world’s most valuable coin
- Graded MS-65
- The 1933 Double Eagle was the last struck gold currency in the United States
- This coin is the only legally, privately owned 1933 Double Eagle known to survive
- US Mint ordered all surviving Double Eagles to be melted in 1934
- The other two specimens were given to the Smithsonian Institution and are on display at the National Museum of American History
- Auctioned off by Stuart Weitzman at Sotheby’s in 2021 as part of the “Three Treasures” which sold for a total of more than $30 million
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