If you want to invest in the world’s most valuable coins, you’d better be ready to pony up some serious cash. The priciest coins fetch millions of dollars at auction, and even less expensive specimens sell for hundreds of thousands. This year alone, one California auctioneer and dealer sold six rare coins for $600,000 or higher.
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That dealer, Costa Mesa-based Stack’s Bowers Galleries, conducts live, internet and specialized auctions of rare U.S. and world coins and currency as well as direct sales through retail and wholesale channels. It recently released its list of the top six rare coin sales of 2024, which was shared in an email to GOBankingRates.
High-Value Rare Coins
The list of coveted, valuable coins included one coin from China, one from Great Britain and four from the United States. Stack’s Bowers referred to the list as “awe-inspiring for numismatic hobbyists and non-hobbyists alike.”
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Here are the top six coins, ranked in order of the sale price, with descriptions from Stack’s Bowers:
- 1825/4/1 Capped Head Left Half Eagle: With only three known to exist, this rare coin fetched $1.08 million at auction in August 2024.
- 1779 (1789) John Stewart at Stony Point Metal: Stack’s Bowers referred to this coin as “The Key to the Entire Comitia Americana Series.” It’s the only known coin in private hands and sold recently for $900,000.
- 1879 Four-Dollar Gold Stella: Sold for $840,000, Stack’s Bowers calls this “one of the finest and most desirable examples of this legendary rarity.” It’s been ranked at #16 of the 100 greatest U.S. coins.
- 1870 CC Liberty Double Head Eagle: Sold for $840,000, Stack’s Bowers calls this “one of the most eagerly sought issues in the entire double eagle series of 1849 to 1933.”
- Gold K’uping Tael Pattern CD (1907): This rare Chinese coin sold for $720,000. From the Ch’ing Dynasty period, this coin had two different versions, 1906 and 1907, with 1907 editions being extremely rare.
- Gold 7 Kilogram Platinum Jubilee Commemorative (7000 lbs) 2022: This coin, produced to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II and her Platinum Jubilee, was made from 7 kilograms of .999 gold.
According to the American Numismatic Association, many factors influence a coin’s value. Rarity is the primary one, as the Stack’s Bowers auctions demonstrate. Popularity, condition, strike characters and special designations also affect prices.
Photo Disclaimer: Photos are for representational purposes only and may not reflect the exact coins listed.
Sean Bryant contributed to the reporting for this article.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: 6 Rare Coins That Sold for At Least $600,000
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