Top 20 Most Expensive Coins in the World History

The initial value of the coins mentioned today was very small, maybe only a few dollars, but today they sell for many millions of dollars because they are very special and help us understand important historical events.

The coins worth money list may change from year to year, as some have only recently been opened. And tokens that are in perfect condition can be an example for you to look up to when creating your own collection.

From $18.9 Million to $7.68 Million

The 1933 Double Eagle, USA

In 1933, when there was a very big economic crisis, President Franklin Roosevelt decided that the country would no longer use the gold standard, so all gold coins were taken back and had to be melted down into simple gold.

They made almost half a million of the Double Eagle coins, designed by Augustus Saint-Gaudens, but not one of them was officially put into use. 

Only about twenty coins didn’t get melted down, but the USA government took almost all of them later as they were taken illegally, so the piece that was sold in 2021 is the only one that people can legally own.

The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar, USA

This coin is seen as the first silver dollar the US Mint made, meaning that the USA finally had its own national money system. 

On the front of the coin, you can see the image of Liberty with long, flowing hair, and on the back there is an American eagle inside a circle of leaves.

The coin set the record in 2013 in very perfect condition, and experts believe it was one of the first coins ever made in 1794.

The 1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on wing, USA

The Brasher Doubloon was made by Ephraim Brasher, a private jeweler, just before the US Mint started making official coins, and it is the first gold coin made in the USA, symbolizing the change from colonial money to American money. 

There are a few kinds of this Doubloon, but the most valuable one has Brasher's initials ("EB") on the eagle’s wing.

The coin that was sold in 2021 was in the best condition known.

The 1822 Gold Half Eagle, USA

Only three of these $5 gold coins are known to exist because most were melted down by the government, and two of the three coins are kept in a museum — the one that was sold for $8.4 million is the only one a private person can legally buy.

The 1804 Silver Dollar Draped Bust, USA

This coin has the year 1804 on it, but it was actually made much later, around 1834, because the US President wanted special gifts of coins for kings in Asia, and only 8 of these first-class coins were ever made for these diplomatic gifts.

From $7.395 Million to $5.0 Million

The 1787 Brasher Doubloon EB on wing, USA

This is another example of the very first gold coin made in the US by a private jeweler named Ephraim Brasher, but this piece is slightly different from the other one because of where the initials are placed.

The 1861 Paquet Liberty Head Double Eagle, USA

This $20 gold coin is special because of the different design on its back, but the Mint quickly stopped making them because they thought the coin was too hard to produce fast enough. 

So only a few coins were left when the others were melted, and the one that was sold for $7.2 million is known.

The 1903 Fengtien Tael, China

This is one of the most expensive coins from Asia because it was part of a plan to make all the money the same, but the plan didn’t happen. 

The Fengtien Tael was made in a very small amount just as a test sample, which is why it became a famous coin — rarity and connection to the last Imperial Dynasty of China.

The 1343 Gold Double Florin of Edward III, England

This is likely the oldest coin on the list, coming from the Middle Ages, and the Double Florin was made when King Edward III was in power with a value of six shillings.

But it was taken out of use soon after because the amount of gold in it was less than people thought. 

Only three of these coins are known to exist today, and the one that was sold is considered the best one.

The 723 Umayyad Gold Dinar, Umayyad Caliphate

This Dinar is the first known Islamic coin that clearly names the place where the gold was found in its inscription, and the writing says, "Mine of the Commander of the Faithful". 

It shows the first years of the Islamic gold money system, and its extreme rarity and historical meaning made its price very high at the 2011 auction.

From $5.52 Million to $3.5 Million

The 1870 Gold Three-Dollar Piece, USA

This $3 gold coin was made at the San Francisco Mint, and it is almost unique as they only made two of these coins, and it is believed that one can be lost, so this coin is the only one.

The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, USA

Officially, no nickels with the Liberty Head design were made in 1913 because the Mint started making the new "Buffalo" design. 

Still, only five pieces from 1913 were somehow made, and this is a pure, unexplainable rarity. 

For many years, people didn’t know they existed, and when they appeared, it was a big surprise.

The 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle, USA

It took too much time and force to make each coin, only a few were ever made before they changed the design to a flatter one, making them rare examples of coin art that cost $4.75 million.

The 1907 Double Eagle (PF-69), USA

This is another coin with the famous Double Eagle design, and its high price is because it is in almost perfect PF-69 condition, so having a coin from the early 1900s in such a new state is more than difficult.

The 42 BC Aureus of Marcus Junius Brutus, Roman Republic

This ancient Roman coin was made by Brutus, who helped kill Julius Caesar, and the coin shows Brutus's face, and it has two knives and the date of the killing on it.

The 2007 Gold Maple Leaf (100 kg), Canada

This Canadian coin is one of the largest gold coins in the world, weighing 100 kilograms, and although its official value is only $1 million Canadian dollars, the price it sells for is high because of the gold spot price.

The 1621 100 Ducats Gold Coin, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth

This coin from the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is the biggest gold coin made in Europe, and it was made to celebrate a big military win by King Sigismund III Vasa against the Ottoman Empire.

From $2.585 Million to $1.32 Million

The 1795 Capped Bust Right Eagle ($10), USA

This is the very first $10 gold coin made by the US Mint, the one that sold for $2.585 million.

The 1808 Capped Bust Left Quarter Eagle ($2.5), USA

This is a $2.50 gold coin, few of them were made in 1808 as the production was very limited in the early years of the USA.

The 1873 Liberty Seated Dime (No Arrows), USA

In 1873, a law was passed that made silver coins weigh more, so the coins made before that were taken back. 

A mistake at the Carson City Mint meant that a small group of 1873 coins was made with the old weight standard without arrows on the coin that usually show the change.

Conclusion

So, why are they so expensive?

1. Extreme Rarity: Many of these coins have only one, three, or five pieces left, and this rarity often happened because of history, like when gold was melted down.

2. Condition: They were sold for record prices and are usually in the best possible condition.

3. Historical Importance: Coins that are connected to the start of countries, big political events make them an echo of the past.