6 Valuable Coins That Could Be Almost Worthless in 10 Years

Vance Cariaga
sergeyryzhov / Getty Images/iStockphoto
sergeyryzhov / Getty Images/iStockphoto

Investing in any kind of asset carries a certain amount of risk — mainly that it will sink in value and you’ll lose money on it. This happens regularly with stocks, commodities, real estate and other assets that go through up and down cycles. It’s less common with rare and collectible coins, but even some of those can see their prices crash from thousands of dollars to nearly nothing.

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There’s no great secret as to why. It all boils down to supply and demand, according to a 2021 blog from the American Numismatic Association. Collector interest in a particular coin or series can be cyclical, just like any asset. “Interests in buffalo nickels and Mercury dimes, for example, rise and diminish as years pass with little indication as to why,” the blog noted.

In some cases, coin prices might tank when large collections are liquidated. That was the case last decade, when one of the largest collections of 17th-century Massachusetts colonial coins was auctioned off. As the Texas Precious Metals website reported at the time, “These are extremely valuable items — worth in the tens if not hundreds of thousands — but their collector following is quite narrow. When dozens of pieces hit the market all at once, prices fell considerably.”

Although it is rare to see once-valuable coins lose all of their value, many have seen their prices go into free fall over the years. For evidence, look no further than coin price charts provided by Professional Coin Grading Service, a leading internet site for coin collectors.

PCGS regularly tracks the biggest gainers and losers over different time periods, ranging from daily and weekly to 10-year increments.

Here’s a look at six coins that have lost more than 90% of their value over the last decade and could become nearly worthless if they continue on the same trajectory for the next 10 years. Each has seen its value sink below $400:

  • 1993 $1 Silver Eagle First Strike (Grade 69):  Price dropped to $75 from $1,500, for a decline of 95%

  • 1969-D 1C, RD (Grade 67): Price dropped to $325 from $4,500, for a decline of 92.78%

  • 1982 Lincoln Penny Bronze Small Date, RD (Grade 67): Price dropped to $225 from $3,000, for a decline of 92.5%

  • 2009-P $1 James K. Polk Position A (Grade 67): Price dropped to $25 from $325, for a decline of 92.31%

  • 2000 $1 Silver Eagle First Strike (Grade 69): Price dropped to $72 from $900, for a decline of 92%

  • 1982 Lincoln Penny Zinc Large Date, RD (Grade 68): Price dropped to $140 from $1,700, for a decline of 91.76%

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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Valuable Coins That Could Be Almost Worthless in 10 Years

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