You might be carrying valuable coins in your pocket without even realizing it. Some rare coins still in circulation can be worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Collectors and experts determine a coin’s value based on several factors, including minting errors, rarity, historical significance, and condition. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) uses a scale from 1 to 70, with higher numbers indicating better-preserved coins.
Here are four rare coins that could be sitting in your change jar—together, they’ve sold for over $1.7 million at auction.
1796 Quarter – A Historic Rarity
One of the rarest coins you could possibly find is the 1796 B-2 Quarter Dollar. Minted just four years after the U.S. Mint was established, only 6,145 of these quarters were produced that year.
The first batch, struck in April 1796, is particularly valuable. In 2022, a collector sold an MS64-graded 1796 quarter for $1.74 million through Heritage Auctions.
This quarter is notable for its “Draped Bust” obverse and “Small Eagle” reverse, a design that was replaced the following year, making 1796 the only year this version was minted.
1969-S Penny – A Doubled Die Rarity
The 1969-S penny is another coin that could still be in everyday circulation, but if you find one with a doubled die error, it could be extremely valuable.
A 1969-S penny with this error, graded MS64, once sold for $126,500. The doubled die effect makes the words “Liberty” and “In God We Trust” appear slightly doubled due to a misalignment during minting.
Since this error is on the obverse side and originates from the San Francisco Mint, it significantly increases the coin’s value.
1975 No-S Dime – A Coin with Only Two Known Examples
One of the rarest modern coins is the 1975 No-S Dime (proof version), with only two known to exist.
In 2019, one sold for $456,000 at auction, while the second was purchased for over $500,000 in 2023.
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The San Francisco Mint produced nearly 2.84 million proof dimes in 1975, but at least two coins were accidentally struck without the “S” mint mark. The extreme rarity of this error has made this dime one of the most sought-after U.S. coins.
1934-S Peace Silver Dollar – A Depression-Era Collectible
The 1934-S Peace Silver Dollar is another valuable coin that could still be found in collections or old coin jars.
Although silver dollars were largely removed from circulation after the Coinage Act of 1965, pre-1965 coins, like the 1934-S Peace Dollar, sometimes resurface.
At auction, an MS65-graded 1934-S Peace Dollar fetched $13,200 in 2018. Only about 1 million of these coins were struck at the San Francisco Mint, making it a rare and historic find.
Other Valuable Coins to Watch For
Beyond these four, collectors also prize certain rare dimes, which could be worth up to $132,000 each, and a few other special coins that have sold for up to $840,000.
If you have old coins lying around, it’s worth checking them carefully—you might be holding onto a small fortune!
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