Popular Coins Wanted By Collectors

At Bullion Shark, we are experts in the rarest coins in the world and help people track down the missing holy grail of their collection, from precious gold coins to the most sought-after wheat pennies.

Looking to add to your collection? The coins featured here tell the history of the United States and the grand history of numismatics.

Check out these coins to see if you need to refresh your list:

1. 2021 Morgan Silver Dollar

The 2021 Morgan Dollar coins were the first Morgan dollars to ever achieve a perfect NGC MS70 grading, making these United States coins desirable to collectors and coin dealers. These uncirculated coins have a face value of a dollar.

The legislation for these coins was pushed forth by Thomas Uram, president of the Pennsylvania Association of Numismatists and a previous member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) Board of Governors.

The 2021 Morgan Dollars were struck in honor of the 100th of the last year of the Morgan Dollar series. The original coins were minted from 1878-1921. Although the original coins are highly-esteemed, the 2021 edition is a fantastic addition to any collection.

2. American Silver Eagle Coin

The Silver Eagle has been minted since 1986. This silver coin is very popular among coin collectors. One of the key dates in the series was minted in 1999, as very few have been graded in perfect MS70 grade.

3. Platinum Eagle Coin

Platinum Eagle coins were first minted in 1997 and are the only U.S. coin to be minted solely platinum. Very few coins are minted each year, making the Platinum Eagle coin a sought-after collector’s item. They are often described as a collector’s dream, partly for their striking beauty.

4. Two-Cent Piece

Only a limited number of two-cent pieces were produced from 1864 to 1873, making it a rare and prized coin. Interestingly, the two-cent piece wasn’t very popular or well-received at the time.

In addition to its sparse numbers, many two-cent pieces were reclaimed and melted down during the 19th century. If you can locate a two-cent piece, consider it a worthwhile choice.

5. Three-Cent Nickel

Like previous entries, the three-cent nickel makes this list due to its uncommon denomination and small number minted. Despite its small quantity, widespread hoarding of this coin caused economic problems in America during the Civil War.

The three-cent nickel was minted from 1865 to 1889. It was minted at a time when stamps cost three cents, making it practical for everyday use. It also made currency exchanges easier, with some of the foreign currency floating around the United States at the time.

However, the coin was about the same size as the dime, making it tricky to quickly pull out while paying a bill. When the price of stamps dropped to two cents, the three-cent nickel’s fate was sealed.

6. Half Cent

To date, the half-cent coin is the lowest denomination currency ever minted in the United States, making it famous in the world of coin collecting.

The half-cent coin was authorized by the Coinage Act of 1792. This act established the U.S. dollar as the official currency of the United States and divided the dollar into 100 cents.

It was redesigned a lot during its short minting time. The coin has a few variations, the 1796 Liberty Head commanding one of the highest prices.

7. Peace Dollars

Peace Dollars are a great addition to any collection, and the coins were minted for a great purpose. Peace Dollars were minted from 1921-1935 to commemorate the ending of the “Great War.” The peace dollar is a fantastic coin to have, especially if you are a World War history buff.

8. Lincoln Pennies

There are many coins worth obtaining, the Lincoln cent chief among them. Various designs of the Lincoln cent were minted over the years; the 1909-S VDB Lincoln cent and the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cent are perhaps the most interesting.

The 1909 Lincoln cent was minted to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birth. The creator of the coin, Victor David Brenner, stamped it with his initials, V.D.B. This addition proved to be a controversial one as many claimed Brenner was seeking to advertise on U.S. currency.

To help calm the controversy, the U.S. Mint buffed out the initials and reproduced the coin. Although around 28 million Lincoln cents were produced with Brenner’s initials, it is believed about 60,000 have survived, making this coin an admirable find.

The 1943 Lincoln wheat cent is another fascinating and popular coin. It contains a very famous error. The Lincoln wheat coin was struck in bronze, but due to bronze shortages in 1943, the Mint had to use zinc-coated steel blanks. Very few (about 25) are thought to exist in bronze. If you find this coin, consider yourself lucky.

Lastly, the 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cent is also a popular coin with a strange error: These coins were struck using a die that cast two impressions.

The Mint discovered the error after casting about 24,000 coins and fixed it. They decided it wasn’t worth the trouble to locate the erroneous coins, melt them down, and recast them. As a result, the Lincoln double cent became a collector’s item.

9. Saint-GaudensDouble Eagle

The Saint-GaudensDouble Eagle coin was minted from 1907-1933 and was minted right after the $20 Gold Liberty. Some of the 1907 versions of the coin feature a notably high relief that made them difficult to produce and for bankers to stack neatly.

In 1908, engravers lowered the relief. As a result of a precious metal shortage in 1933, many people turned these collectible coins in for paper money. These unique features make this coin one of a kind.

10. Standing Liberty Quarter

The Standing Liberty Quarter enjoyed a small mintage in 1916 and 1917; however, it was not without its controversy. This in-demand coin features an image of a standing Lady Liberty with flowing hair and one breast exposed.

To quell the moral outrage, a second mintage by the United States Mint in 1917 featured an image of standing Lady Liberty wearing chainmail. Others rumored that Lady Liberty’s chainmail was added to show her readiness for war as the United States entered World War I in 1917.

11. Mercury Dime

Mercury Dimes, particularly the 1916-D Mercury Dime, is a remarkably popular coin. Not many were minted, around 264,000. As a result, they are in short supply.

For some reason, they were not set aside like other coins, and so many were lost. Although most of the surviving mercury dimes are worn and graded lower, many collectors still treasure this coin.

12. 1652 New England Shilling

Some consider the New England Shilling to be one of the most numismatically important American coins. It was the first government coin minted in the original 13 colonies that would later become the United States. Few shillings were struck, and the Willow Tree Shilling replaced it in 1653; only about 40 New England Shillings are thought to have survived.

Honorable Mentions

In addition to the coins listed above, we would be remiss to skip over several other rare coins from the last few centuries:

• The 1975 No. S Roosevelt Dime
• The 1919 Liberty Half-Dollar

• The 1937 Three-Legged Buffalo Nickel

• The 1933 Indian Head Gold Eagle

• The 1932 George Washington Quarter

• 1916 Mercury Dimes from the San Francisco Mint

• 2005 Kansas “In God We Trust” State Quarter

• 2004 25C Wisconsin Extra Leaf Error Coin

A Strong Collection

These 12 coins are just a sample of the fabulous coins out there — between gold, silver, and popular coins, there is so much to discover. With new coins sourced frequently, check out Bullion Shark for everything your coin collection needs.

Sources:

Numismatic Guaranty Company | NGC Coin Grading Scale

Top 10 Coins Worth Collecting | The Spruce Crafts

Small Coins, Big Value: The World’s 11 Most Valuable Coins | Luxe Digital

Numismatics Definition | Investopedia

The Coinage Act of 1792 Definition | Investopedia