Check Your $1 Coins — They Could Be Worth Thousands
The $1 coin has all but disappeared from the daily lives of most Americans. While you may receive a $1 coin in change on occasion, for the most part, you’ll have to seek them out to find them.
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Although some rare, historical coins like the 1794 Flowing Hair Silver One Dollar can be worth millions of dollars, saying they aren’t likely to appear in your everyday change is an understatement. However, there are a number of $1 coins of more recent type and style that you may see.
The 2000 Sacagawea “Cheerios” Dollar
The shiny, gold-colored Sacagawea dollars were produced from 2000 to 2008. What makes the so-called “Cheerios” version of this dollar special is that it was inserted into boxes of the cereal during a promotional campaign, and only 5,500 were ever produced.
This alone is enough to make them a rare issue, but some of these coins also had a special reverse, with different eagle feathers than the standard coin. While 767,140,000 regular Sacagawea dollars were issued in 2000 in Philadelphia alone, only about 70 of these special “Cheerios” dollars are known to exist. In top condition, the coins might fetch as much as $25,000.
Next: Check Your $2 Bills — They Could Be Worth Thousands
2000 Sacagawea Dollar On Susan B. Anthony Blank
As if the 2000 Sacagawea “Cheerios” dollars weren’t exciting enough, there’s another version of the 2000 dollars that can be extremely valuable. Before the Sacagawea dollars were produced, U.S. dollars came in the form of the Susan B. Anthony version, which were minted from 1979-81 and again in 1999. However, as dollar coins transitioned from the Susan B. Anthony variety to the Sacagawea type, the U.S. Mint made an error. Some of the new Sacagawea coins were printed on Susan B. Anthony blanks, also known as planchets. Only nine to 12 of these rare coins are known to exist, so if you were to find one, you’d be lucky indeed. The last known sale at auction was way back in 2011 for $7,763, but if another were to come up for sale the price would likely be higher.
1979-S Regular Strike Susan B. Anthony
Speaking of Susan B. Anthony dollars, not all of the valuable versions are so rare that it would be a miracle if you found one. Take, for example, the 1979-S Regular Strike Susan B. Anthony dollar. Of the 109,576,000 originally minted, the PCGS estimates there are 100 million still in existence. However, in top condition, these relatively common coins become rare indeed. On the mint state scale, which runs up to MS70, the PCGS estimates there are only a few thousand coins in MS66 condition, 400 in MS67, and just a handful in MS68, with no examples graded any higher. Coins like these can run $4,850 or more. Coins are much easier to find in MS64 condition, but they would still be worth about $18.
1972 Type 2 Reverse Eisenhower Dollar
Even in everyday condition, the 1972 Type 2 Reverse Eisenhower Dollar is worth about $10 to $70, according to the PCGS.
However, if you run across this dollar in uncirculated condition, perhaps in a special case or directly issued from the U.S. Mint, you might be onto something. Prices jump rapidly in top condition, from $300 in MS64 condition to $10,500 in MS66.
The PCGS estimates there are just 500 in MS65 or better condition, out of an original mintage of nearly 76 million.
Special Case: The 1976 Eisenhower One Dollar With No S
The 1976 Eisenhower Dollar was a popular coin because it marked America’s bicentennial. As such, it had a special design on the reverse, along with a date of “1776-1976” on the obverse. These coins were produced at the San Francisco mint and had an “S” mint mark on the obverse as well.
But some 1976 Eisenhower dollars have no mint mark at all. How did this happen? A few coins were printed in Philadelphia as samples for the new design, before the San Francisco Mint actually went into production. As such, these coins had no mint mark at all, as was the tradition for coins produced in Philadelphia.
According to the U.S. Mint, these coins were all destroyed. However, a few somehow survived, and their value is estimated at around $850,000. The Professional Coin Grading service, or PCGS, says these are possibly the rarest non-error coins in existence. In fact, the “Type 2” version of this coin, with thinner lettering, may even be unique. Unfortunately, this means you won’t be finding it in your spare change.
1889-CC Morgan Silver Dollar, MS68
If you really want to shoot for the moon, see if you can hunt down an 1889-CC Morgan Silver Dollar in MS68 condition. One of the rarest coins in the world, a specimen in that condition could command $1 million according to PCGS. Even in completely worn and almost unrecognizable condition, the 1889-CC dollar is worth $550 due to the scarcity of specimens. By PCGS estimates of the small original mintage of 350,000 coins, only about 25,250 still exist in any grade, with only 7 remaining in MS65 or better.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Check Your $1 Coins — They Could Be Worth Thousands
