As you can imagine, old coins from the 1800s are at the of the list of most desirable and famous U.S. coins to add to a collection. Numismatists and coin collectors of all types appreciate the construction, age, and historical significance these ancient coins bring to the table.

Remember, some of these coins were produced before there was even electricity or running water; the story behind them is truly remarkable.

What Are the Most Valuable 1800s Coins?

1822 American Half Eagle PCGS AU-50

The 1822 American Half Eagle is an extremely rare coin that any collector would be ecstatic to add to their coin collection. There are only three known specimens in existence, and two of them are on display in the Smithsonian collection.

Only one of these legendary coins is kept in the private market, and it’s extremely desirable. It’s the rarest coin anyone would need to make a complete set of circulation issue U.S. coins by date.

Unlike a few other extremely rare coins that were nearly impossible for collectors to acquire, the U.S. Mint did not produce restrikes of the 1822 Half Eagle to meet collectors’ needs. If and when the privately owned coin comes on the market, it will likely break all records for a top dollar sale.

This 1822 American Half Eagle AU-50 regular strike was graded as About Uncirculated. It was produced at the Philadelphia Mint with a mintage number of 17,796. The coin’s designers are Robert Scot and John Reich. It’s a gorgeous gold coin that also consists of 8.3% copper.

1794 Flowing Hair Dollar PCGS SP66

The 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar SP66 would stop even the most seasoned numismatic experts in their tracks. It’s a true historic gem, one of the finest known examples of the first silver dollar in the United States.

Most experts believe this ancient beauty is the very first 1794 U.S. silver dollar ever struck. We should note that the PCGS will not certify a U.S. coin as a Proof if it was struck before 1816. However, there are a small handful of pre-1816 coins designated as “Specimens” that are obviously special strikes.

This stunning silver coin was graded as Specimen striking (SP-66) for several reasons, but we’ll list the most notable:

1. The 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar SP66 is in the exact die state as the copper die trial. One of only a few rare coins struck from aligned dies.
2. This Flowing Hairdollar coin stands out as radically different from any other known example. It’s clear it was magnificently preserved from the day it was struck on October 15, 1794.
3. The planchet was adjusted several times to achieve the most precise degree possible for 18th-century coiners. This coin is the only issue from 1794 that is believed to have been plugged at the Mint.

The 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar SP66 has a beautiful patina with multi-colored highlights and only minor imperfections caused by the adjustments at the Mint. The coin’s designer is Robert Scot, and its composition is 90% silver and 10% copper.

1861 Paquet Liberty Head Double Eagle MS-67 CAC

The 1861 Paquet Liberty Double Eagle MS-67 (PCGS) CAC is the finest known example of this coin. The surfaces are almost perfect, with an incredible mint luster that swirls over the gold coin’s obverse and reverse.

This stunning gold coin stood as the finest known, not only for this date but of the entire type. Until the recovery of a dozen coins graded MS-67 from the shipwreck of the S.S. Central America, it was the most commonly seen Type One issue.

Today, it’s still the finest of its date and mint. It remains tied with the finest shipwreck coins preserved underwater for all those years.

The 1861 issue had a plentiful mintage of 2,976,453 pieces, but only a small percentage have survived, and virtually all of them show various degrees of circulation. Housed in an old green label PCGS holder, the coin’s innovative design and fascinating history make it a true American classic.

The Paquet Double Eagle received its name from the coin’s designer, Anthony C. Paquet. It wasn’t known until the 1930s, but the coins were minted at two U.S. Mint branches, Philadelphia and San Francisco.

1838 $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagle PCGS PR65 CAMEO

The 1838 Liberty Head Eagle Proof is one of the rarest and most valuable coins in all of the U.S. Federal series. There are only three known examples, and one of them is sequestered in the National Numismatic Collection located at the Smithsonian Institution.

As expected, auction appearances of this historical gold coin are rare. The 1838 Proofs were the first coins struck with the Liberty design, which was later slightly modified in 1839, making it a very popular two-year design type.

This rare gold coin was produced in Philadelphia with a mintage of 7,200. It has reeded edges and consists of 90% gold and 10% copper. The coin’s designer was Christian Gobrecht, the third Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1840 until his death in 1844.

The 1838 $10 Liberty Head Gold Eagle is highly desirable by coin collectors because it was the first year the Mint resumed production of this denomination after a 34-year hiatus. This year and mintage are rare in all conditions, and strictly uncirculated specimens are extremely rare.

1878 S Trade Dollar PCGS MS68

The 1878-S Trade Dollar is a fan favorite among coin collectors. It’s very common in all grades, and the 1878-S in Mint State is one of the most available of all trade dollar issues.

Being that the trade dollar denomination was suspended at the height of its success only adds to the allure. The Bland-Allison Act required the government to buy a certain amount of silver to mint into silver dollars, so the Secretary of the Treasury, John Sherman, halted trade dollar mintage.

That was in February of 1878, but the San Francisco Mint did not end production until early April. By then, 4,162,000 pieces had been made, which was the fourth-highest production in the series.

A number of 1878-S Trade Dollars remained in circulation through commercial channels in the Orient through the 1950s. It’s believed that quantities of this issue were melted down at the San Francisco Mint. However, no records have been verified.

These silver coins are usually well-struck, but large mintage issues such as this one are bound to have variations in striking quality. There are two varieties of this collectible U.S. coin and several business strike error coins that are noteworthy.

1880 $4 Coiled Hair Stella PCGS PR67 CAMEO

The 1880 Coiled Hair Stella is the rarest of the $4 Stella series. It’s estimated that the original mintage was probably ten coins, but only around half of those have survived until today.

Although the mintage for this pattern is identical to the 1879 Coiled Hair Stella, it appeared at auctions three times less. That is most certainly due to the fact the 1879 issue was restruck in small quantities, whereas the 1880 series was not. There is some debate about whether a small additional quantity was minted later in 1880, but there is no evidence to prove that theory.

Within the ten known examples, there are two distinctly different “finishes” A couple of the pieces appear to be frosted proofs, with devices that are frosted and fields that are mirrorlike. Others appear to be fully brilliant proofs, so mirrorlike that you would think they were polished, but they were undoubtedly struck that way.

The small number of pieces and why and how there are two different finishes remain a mystery. Regardless, this Stella is the rarest of the four types.

1804 Draped Bust Dollar PCGS PR68 Class 1

1804 Draped Bustsilver dollars are one of the rarest of all U.S. coins. The story behind these rare coins is unusual, being that none of them were likely minted in the year they’re dated.

The U.S. Mint reports that 19,570 silver dollars were minted in 1804; however, many numismatists believe all of those reported were leftover coins dated 1803. Certain characteristics of the 1804 Draped Bust dollars indicate they were actually struck around 1834 when the State Department ordered special sets of coins to be struck for diplomatic purposes. Later, restrikes were issued sometime after 1857.

There are three separate classes of 1804 silver dollars, broken down according to when they were minted and varying designs. There are fewer than ten known examples of each class. The finest known example is a Class I “original” (circa 1834) and graded Proof 68 by PCGS.

Add Rare 1800s Coins to Your Coin Collection

If you’re in the market for rare and valuable coins from the 1800s, Bullion Shark is the trusted coin dealer you can rely on.

Take a look at our extensive inventory and find the piece you’ve been searching for.

Source:

1822 $5 (Regular Strike) Capped Bust $5 | PCGS CoinFacts

1794 $1 (Special Strike) Flowing Hair Dollar | PCGS

1878-ST$1 Trade (Regular Strike) - Dollars | PCGS

1804 $1 Original - Class I (Proof) Draped Bust Dollar | PCGS

1861 S PAQUET $20 MS | Coin Explorer | NGC

Stella $4 gold piece goes for $1.8 million | Numismatic News

Treasures from legendary 1857 "Ship of Gold" shipwreck unveiled in Nevada | CBS News