In the context of US pennies (1 cent coins), the rarest and most valuable coins are often error coins or those with very low mintages.
Some of the most notable include:
- 1943-D Lincoln Bronze Cent: This is considered the “holy grail” of rare pennies. During World War II, pennies were transitioned from bronze to steel to conserve copper for the war effort. A few bronze planchets (blank coins) from 1942 mistakenly made their way into the Denver Mint’s production in 1943, creating this extremely rare error coin. Only one specimen is known to exist, making it the most expensive penny ever sold at auction, reaching $1.7 million.
- 1944-S Lincoln Steel Cent: Similarly, a steel planchet from 1943 was accidentally struck with 1944-dated dies at the San Francisco Mint. There are only two known examples of the 1944-S steel cent, making it another incredibly valuable error coin. One in excellent condition sold at auction for $373,750.
- 1909-S VDB Lincoln Cent: This coin is highly sought after due to its low mintage and the controversy surrounding the designer’s initials, “V.D.B.”, which were later removed from the coin’s reverse. Only 484,000 of these were minted, making them very rare.
- 1958 Doubled Die Obverse Cent: This error coin exhibits strong doubling on the date and lettering of the phrase “IN GOD WE TRUST”. Only three examples of the 1958 doubled die obverse cent are known to exist, commanding prices of over $300,000 at auction.
In addition to these rarities, several other pennies, including specific Indian Head cents and other error coins, are also considered quite valuable.
What’s the rarest $1 coin?
From my experience, Among them, the 1884 and 1885 Trade Dollar coins are exceptionally rare, with only ten and five known to exist, respectively. In fact, in 2006, one 1884 Trade Dollar was auctioned for a staggering $3.3 million! But even more common dates of these dollar coins can be worth a lot of money, especially in higher grades.
What is the most valuable 1 coin?
Thanks for asking. 2011 Edinburgh £1. Topping the list as the rarest £1 coin in circulation, the 2011 Edinburgh £1 was part of a series celebrating the UK’s capital cities.