Coin Collecting - The Top 10 List

An associate of mine remembers receiving as a child a big paper bag of old US silver dollars, some going back as far as the late 1890s. Sometime between then and today he has misplaced that old paper bag. To this day, he wonders if any of those coins might have been worth something.

There is no arguing that coin collecting is one of the biggest and most expensive hobbies in the world. The price tags of some old coins would turn your hair grey. In this article, we are going to review the 10 most rare coins in existence. Wait until you see what some of these are going for.

Kicking off the list at number 10 are "proof gold" coins. While the mint now produces millions of these coins annually, selling them to collectors worldwide, the situation was very different in the 19th century. Back then, only a few thousand were struck each year, and even fewer were proof gold coins. Today, these coins are incredibly rare and highly valuable, consistently fetching high prices regardless of market conditions.

Ranked at number 9 are early U.S. gold coins minted between 1795 and 1834, issued in denominations of $2.50, $5, and $10. Today, these coins are incredibly rare, particularly in mint condition, and are highly coveted by collectors.

Ranked at number 8 are the Liberty Seated Dollars, considered by many to be among the most beautiful coins ever struck. These coins are also some of the rarest from the 19th century, with both circulation strikes and proofs being extremely scarce.

Hitting the chart at number 7, we have a very odd coin that was minted between 1875 and 1878. These were twenty-cent pieces. Unfortunately, the coin looked too much like a quarter to catch on with the public, and there was no real commercial need for the denomination. Today they are highly prized collector's items. These coins today are very rare and in top condition.

Number 6 on the coin-hit parade are the Barber half dollars. These were issued between 1892 and 1915. They are one of the coin markets' most important issues. They are sought after by both "date" and "type" collectors, making them the rarest silver-type issues of the 20th century. These are very rare coins, and to find one in gem condition is a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.

Midway up the chart at number 5 is the 1917 Type One Standing Liberty Quarter. This coin was made for only 2 years. The exposed breast of Miss Liberty caused such a commotion that they had to radically change the design midway through 1917. Since 1916 is a 5-figure rarity (in the 10s of thousands of dollars), this coin is essentially a one-year issue.

At number 4 are the Mercury Dimes. Even though this dime was minted between 1916 and 1945, proofs were made only between 1936 and 1942. Mercury dimes minted between 1940 and 1945 are reasonably priced and sell for about $50 a piece, although the proofs can be more expensive.

Claiming the number 2 spot is the Texas Commemorative Half Dollar, which holds the top position on the all-time rare coin price list. Struck between 1934 and 1938, only around 150,000 of these coins were minted. Today, only 60 to 80% of those remain, with just 50% earning a grade of MS65 or higher. This combination of rarity and scarcity makes the Texas Commemorative Half Dollar highly coveted among collectors.

Claiming the top spot at number 1 is the Saint Gaudens $20 gold coin, arguably the most famous coin in the world. Renowned for its stunning design, it is considered one of the most beautiful coins in history. Remarkably, the Saint Gaudens was one of the few coins whose price didn't drop during the 1980-1982 bear market.

In a future article, we'll cover how coin collectors go about getting rare coins and where they can be found both online and offline.