EVERYONE likely has a circulated coin somewhere around them – and it might shock you to learn that it could be valuable.
A circulated coin could mean a few things, but generally, it is a type of condition that collectors refer to.
Circulated coins were struck by the Mint with the purpose of daily transaction use and released into general circulation.
Some examples of circulated grades include Very Good (VG), Fine (F), extremely fine (XF, or EF), and about uncirculated (AU).
Uncirculated coins, on the other hand, were issued to the public but were not intended for daily use.
Instead, these are more collectors’ items and do not contain traces of wear like circulated pieces.
But luckily, some of these could be worth hundreds – or even thousands.
This could include coins you are accustomed to seeing or using every day that features Presidents Abraham Lincoln and George Washington.
The value could depend on a few factors including low mintage, errors, or grade and condition.
Below we reveal some of the most valuable pieces in circulation.
1. 1893 Morgan Silver dollar – $13,100
There have been only 100,000 1893-S Morgan Dollar coins minted
The 1893-S Morgan Silver dollar is the rarest piece in the series and can even be worth thousands.
The S, which stands for the mint location of San Francisco, can be found on the bottom of the reverse of the coin.
The biggest reason why the piece with an S mark is so valuable is because of its low mintage of 100,000.
“The 1893-S is the rarest of all Morgan dollars in higher grades,” David Bowers, a numismatic author, wrote in a description of the coin on the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) website.
He added: “The 1893-S is not an ‘impossible’ rarity because thousands of worn specimens survive.”
One has sold for more than $13,000 after a whopping 113 bids.
The coin was certified by PCGS in “AU Details”.
2. 1924 Buffalo nickel – $5,600
The S mark can be found below the “five cents” on the reverse
Before the Jefferson nickel entered circulation, the Buffalo-Indian nickel was the go-to five-cent denomination for Americans.
Some of these nickels, which were minted between 1913 to 1938, could also sell for thousands.
One of them is the 1924-S nickel.
The 1924-S piece has one of the lowest reported mintages in the series, with a little more than 1.4million pieces.
In comparison, the average mintage for a Buffalo nickel is nearly 19million, according to Coin Mintages.
As an example, one coin in a February listing sold for a total of $5,600 after 69 bids.
The seller labeled the coin in the headline as “AU++”.
1916 is the ending of the old Barber dime series and the introduction of Mercury dimes
3. 1916 Mercury silver dime – $3,200
In the early 1900s, Liberty was still featured on the dime.
On of the rarest ones will bear the 1916 date with a D letter mark.
Only Mercury series dimes were minted that year in Denver, adding even more value to the 1916 Denver dimes.
Also, 1916 ended the old Barber dime series and introduced the Mercury dimes, according to Coin Study.
Only 264,000 with 1916-D date have been minted.
The value could range as low $300 to as high as a little over $29,000, according to data from PCGS.
One example that was certified in a F 12 grade by PCGS sold for $3,200 recently online.
4. 1909 Lincoln penny – $2,146
The VBD-S penny has the lowest mintage in the Lincoln series
The 1909 date kicked off the Lincoln penny series, but that didn’t stop controversy from happening.
This was sparked by designer Victor David Brenner (VDB), who engraved his initials on the reverse of the penny.
While this wasn’t uncommon at the time, newspaper reporters had an issue with the placement of the initials.
PCGS CoinFacts founder Ron Gruth wrote that the reporters argued that they were “far from inconspicuous and that the initials amounted to free, illegal advertising for the designer”.
There were two pieces in 1909 with VDB’s initials engraved: one featured an S on the reverse under the date, while the other did not have a letter mark.
The coin with an S mark has a mintage of just 484,000, which is the lowest in the entire Lincoln series.
The one without a mintmark, in comparison, has a mintage of nearly 28million.
In average condition, the 1909 VDB S penny is worth $940, according to USA Coin Book.
Meanwhile, one 1909-S piece sold for more than $2,100 in a recent eBay listing.
5. 1932 Washington quarter – $680
There are two valuable Washington quarters with this date
Interestingly, two of the rarest Washington quarters in circulation feature the 1932 dates.
One is the 1932-S and the other is known as the 1932-D (Denver) quarter.
These are only two Washington quarters with mintages under 1million.
Just 408,000 and 436,800 have been minted respectively, according to former PCGS President David Hall.
“Both coins have been highly sought after in all grades for the past 60 years,” Mr Hall wrote in a description of the coin.
“They are the key dates of the Washington quarter series and actually are two of the better known rare coins of the twentieth century.”
A 1932-D Washington quarter sold for $680 after 45 bids in an eBay auction.
The seller listed the grade as “AU++” in the headline.
For more on rare coins, we reveal the most valuable Roosevelt dimes worth up to $1,100.
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