YOU MAY HAVE THESE RARE COINS IN YOUR POCKET
You can profit big by inspecting old coins—if you know which coins actually are worth much more than their face value. These days, plenty of these collectible coins are back in circulation, thanks to the popularity of automatic coin-counting machines that encourage people to gather up the old coins they have around the house and turn them into paper bills for spending.
Way To Start Your Search For The Popular Coins Mentioned Below.
Pennies
1943 copper Lincoln penny is one of the most sought-after coins—about 40 have been found. That year, the US Mint switched to making pennies from zinc-coated steel instead of 95% copper/5% zinc and tin, but by mistake some copper pennies still were made, and those may be worth $10,000 to $100,000, or even $1 million in pristine condition.
Double Die Penny
“Doubled-die” Lincoln penny. Look for noticeable doubling in the inscriptions “Liberty”…”In God We Trust”…and/or the date. Years include 1955.
Double Ear
Double ear Lincoln 1984 and 1997 “double-ear” Lincoln pennies. A doubling during the minting process gave Abe Lincoln’s engraved portrait an extra earlobe.
Nickels
1964-D Jefferson nickel with misspelled motto. The middle word in “E Pluribus Unum” on the reverse side of the coin is spelled “Pluridus.
2005-D Jefferson nickel with a bison. In the valuable version, an engraving mistake makes it look as if a spear bisects the bison’s back and stomach.
Dimes
1982-No-P-dime1982 no-P Roosevelt dime. Dimes produced at the Philadelphia Mint never carried a mint mark—a letter indicating where they were made—until 1980, when a small letter “P” was added on the lower right just above the date to signify Philadelphia.
Quarters
2001-P double Statue of Liberty New York State quarter. Starting in 1999, the US Mint began minting a series of quarters with commemorative features from each of the 50 states on the reverse side. Although they are not very old, these coins are prized by collectors for their variety of mistakes.
2005 Minnesota quarter of 10,000 mistakes. This is a play on the state’s nickname, the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” because collectors have so far found more than 50 different versions of this coin with unique mistakes. The coin’s reverse side features a line of evergreen trees along a pristine lake.
Half-Dollars
Kennedy half-dollar with missing initials. Engraver Frank Gasparro designed the reverse of this coin, which features the presidential coat of arms. He was permitted to place his initials, FG, just to the right of the eagle’s tail.
Dollars
“God-less” presidential dollar. For nearly 60 years, the motto “In God We Trust” has been required on US coins. But in 2007, the Mint started making a series of dollar coins to honor deceased US presidents and imprinted the date, mint mark and motto along the rim instead of the front or back.
HOW TO FIND EVEN MORE RARE COINS
Scan The Surfaces Of A Coin For Mistakes. Start by inspecting the obverse side of the coin, paying attention to the date and mint mark (the letter signifying where the coin was minted, most commonly “D” for Denver, “P” for Philadelphia or “S” for San Francisco). Some of the most valuable errors, called doubled dies, occur in these features.
Study The Date, Mint Mark And Mottos Or Inscriptions. on the coin for typographical errors such as missing or reversed letters or numbers and letters spaced too far apart.
Examine The Reverse Side For Missing Or Unusual Elements In The Engraved Designs. This is fairly common on a series of recent commemorative quarters that carry detailed engravings celebrating images from each of the 50 states, such as a bison or lake, on the reverse side of the coin.
To Make Coin Details Easier To See. Tilt the coin at various angles to the light. Purchase a small, 5x magnifying glass that you can clip onto your key chain.