The world's most valuable coins
03 November 2016
Most expensive small change ever
Coin collecting is big business and the rarest, most coveted specimens fetch unbelievable prices when they come on the market. From precious ancient Greek coins to the modern million-dollar Canadian gold sovereign that is as big as a coffee table, check out the 30 most valuable coins ever.
1344 Edward III Double Leopard Florin, UK: £460,000
Only three of these medieval gold florins are known to exist, and two of them reside at the British Library in London. Dating from the reign of King Edward III, the rare coins are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars each – in 2006, this specimen sold to a private collector for $566,000 (£460k).
1344 Edward III Double Leopard Florin, UK: £460,000
The most valuable British coin sold at auction, this extremely rare trial gold sovereign was minted just before King Edward VIII's abdication in December 1936 and never made it into circulation. It was auctioned for $635,000 (£156k) in 2014.
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460 BC Silver Tetradrachm of Naxos, Ancient Greece: £691,000
This exquisite silver coin from Crete depicts Herakles, the divine hero with superhuman strength, and dates from 350BC. One of the most sought-after coins from the ancient world, it sold for 16 times its pre-sale estimate in 2012.
460 BC Silver Tetradrachm of Naxos, Ancient Greece: £691,000
The Silver Tetradrachm, which features the wine god Dionysus and his drunken tutor Silenus, is considered one of the finest coins of the fifth century BC – it went for a cool $850,000 (£691k) at auction in 2012.
1825/4 $5 Capped Head Left Half Eagle, USA: £765,000
This extremely rare proof $5 coin – only one of two in existence – is unique thanks to its overstamped date. Part of the legendary D. Brent Pogue Collection, it exceeded its reserve price and fetched $940,000 (£765k) at auction in New York earlier this year.
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1795 Draped Bust Dollar, USA: £860,000
Another exquisite rare coin from the D. Brent Pogue Collection, this 1795 Draped Bust $1 is in exceptionally good condition and has been described as the finest example of its kind. It was sold along with rest of the collection in May.
1992 Gold 2000 Yuan, China: £1 million
This gold yuan beauty was minted in 1992, and forms part of a limited edition of 10. The coveted 2000 yuan coin, which weighs a kilo and depicts a compass as well as the Great Wall of China, realised $1,298,000 (£1m) at auction in Hong Kong in 2011.
1833 $5 Capped Head Left Half Eagle, USA: £1.1 million
The vast majority of $5 Capped Head Half Eagle coins were melted following the Mint Act of 1834. As a result, very few survive today. This example from the D. Brent Pogue Collection sold for $1,351,000 (£1.1m) in May 2016.
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308 Maxentius 8-Aurei Gold Medallion, Ancient Rome: £1.14 million
The stunning 8-Aurei Gold Medallion is the most expensive Roman coin sold at auction, and then some. One of only two surviving examples, it is notable for its generous size, fine detailing and exceptional quality.
1991 Gold 10,000 Yuan, China: £1.3 million
The most expensive Chinese coin ever, the 10,000 yuan Gold Panda coin, which was struck in 1991, weights an impressive five kilos and is made from .999 fine gold. It garnered $1,567,190 (£1.3m) at auction in 2011.
1792 Silver-Center Cent, USA: £1.62 million
One of the first coins ever produced by the US Mint, this silver-centre cent is one of just six in existence. Needless to say, the historically important coin fetched a fortune at an auction in Chicago in 2014, and another example fetched $705,000 (£574k) earlier in the year.
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1894-S Barber Dime, USA: £1.62 million
The most valuable and finest of the famous 1894-S Barber Dimes, this particular example sold for just shy of $2,000,000 (£1.63m) in 2016. Only 24 1894-S Barber Dimes were struck. Of those 24, just 10 survive.
1907 $10 Eagle Rolled Edge, USA: £1.8 million
Very few gold 1907 $10 Rolled Edge Eagles still exist, and collectors have entered into fierce bidding wars to get hold of these elusive coins. Unsurprisingly, the best example sold for $2,185,000 (£1.8m) at auction in 2011.
1804 Bust Dollar - Class III, USA: £1.9 million
One of just 15 specimens that are known to exist, this Class III example of the 1804 Bust, aka the Bowed Liberty Dollar, went for a very respectable $2,300,000 (£1.9m) when it was auctioned in 2011.
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1792 Birch Cent, USA: £2.1 million
The very first penny struck by the US mint, this collector's dream coin is likely to have been handled by George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. As you'd expect, it realised an astronomical price at auction last year.
1787 Brasher Doubloon - EB on Breast, privately minted: £2.4 million
Goldsmith Ephraim Brasher produced the first American gold coins, only seven of which survive. Of those that have been preserved, this version, which features the EB punch on the eagle's breast, is one of the most valuable. It fetched $2,990,000 (£2.4m) at auction in 2005.
1907 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle - Ultra High Relief, USA: £2.4 million
Regarded as the most beautiful of all the American coins, the rare $20 gold Double Eagle was designed by Beaux-Arts architect Augustus Saint-Gaudens. This 1907 example sold for almost $3,000,000 (£2.44m) in 2005.
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350-300 BC Pantikapaion Gold Stater, Ancient Greece: £3.1 million
This stunning gold stater depicts the face of a satyr on the head and a griffin on the reverse. It realised $3,802,500 (£3.1m) when it was sold in 2012, a record price for an ancient Greek coin.
1704 Ivan VI Pattern Silver Rouble, Russia: £3.13 million
Meticulously crafted, this Ivan VI Silver Rouble from 1704 is only one of two or three specimens known to exist. It fetched $3,858,850 (£3.13m) at auction in 2012, which is a world record for a Russian coin.
1898 Single 9 Pond, South Africa: £3.3 million
South Africa's rarest gold coin, the 1898 Single 9 Pond is a unique error coin featuring an oversized '9' stamp on the head side. Much sought-after, the fabled coin was sold to a private collector for a colossal $4,000,000 (£3.3m) in 2010.
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2007 C$1 Million Gold Queen Elizabeth II Canada: £3.3 million
The size of a coffee table, this 2007 Canadian gold coin weighs a hefty 100 kilos and has a face value of C$1,000,000 (£607k). It was bought by a consortium of international buyers for $4,000,000 (£3.3m) at an auction in Austria earlier this year.
1804 Bust Dollar Bust Dollar - Class I, USA: £3.4 million
The finest examples of the 1804 Bust Dollar are Class I pieces and as such they command the highest prices. This specimen sold for $4,140,000 (£3.4m) in 1999, while another fetched $3,877,500 (£3.2m) at auction in 2013.
1787 Brasher Doubloon - EB on Wing, privately minted: £3.7 million
Another of Ephraim Brasher's exquisite gold doubloons, this impeccable early specimen, which features the EB punch on the eagle's wing, was sold for $4,582,500 (£3.7m) at a Florida auction in 2014.
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1794 'Lord St. Oswald' Flowing Hair Dollar, USA: £4.1 million
The prized Flowing Hair Dollar was the first dollar coin issued by the US federal government and is now the most coveted by collectors. This perfectly preserved specimen from the Lord St. Oswald Collection went for $4,993,750 (£4.1m) at auction last year.
1913 Liberty Head Nickel - Eliasberg Specimen, USA: £4.1 million
Only five 1913 nickels exist bearing the Liberty Head design. Heritage Auctions sold one for $3,737,500 (£3m) in 2010 and another for $3,172,500 (£2.6m) in 2013. The most valuable example, the so-called Eliasberg Specimen, was bought by a private collector for $5,000,000 (£4.1m) in 2007.
1804/1834 $10 Proof Eagle, USA: £4.1 million
This super-rare $10 gold coin dated 1804 was specially minted in 1834 for President Andrew Jackson to give as a diplomatic gift to officials in Asia. Only four of them exist. This particular specimen garnered $5,000,000 (£4.1m) at a 2007 auction.
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724 Umayyad Gold Dinar, Umayyad Caliphate: £4.9 million
Regarded as the rarest and most important Islamic gold coin, the Umayyad Gold Dinar is historically significant and highly prized. It went for $6,029,400 (£4.9m) at auction in 2011, beating its $400,000 (£325k) reserve by a long shot.
1787 Brasher Doubloon - EB on Breast, privately minted: £6 million
The very first doubloon minted by Ephraim Brasher, which was stamped with EB on the eagle's breast, remains the most expensive historic coin ever sold. It was bought by a Wall Street investment company for $7,400,000 (£6m) in 2011.
1933 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, USA: £6.2 million
All but two of the mythical 1933 $20 Saint-Gaudens Double Eagles were ordered to be melted down, but around 13 are known to exist. Exceedingly valuable, the only specimen to come on the open market sold for a staggering $7,590,020 (£6.2m) in 2002.
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1794 'Carter' Flowing Hair Dollar, USA: £8.1 million
The world's most valuable coin, this 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar is the finest known example and was among the first dollar coins minted. Dubbed 'a national treasure' by numismatic expert Steven Contursi, it realised a phenomenal $10,016,875 (£8.1m) at auction in 2013.