Everyone loves finding extra cash in an old pair of jeans or under the back of the couch — but many may be sitting on a small fortune.
A single coin in your purse or bowl of change can actually be worth thousands of dollars, so it’s worth checking if you have rare collectibles.
The 1972 Philadelphia-minted Lincoln Cent has a value of $3,500 due to the doubling of the words on the front.
A 1972 Denver-minted half dollar sells for about $1,000 because it is missing its designer’s initials.
The two main factors that make a coin rare and valuable are the doubling of the characters on the front, known as a double dice, and if it is missing aspects of the design or has additional details.
DailyMail.com spoke to a coin appraiser to reveal the most valuable coins in circulation that could be hidden in your pocket.
The 1972 Philadelphia-minted Lincoln Cent has a value of up to $3,500 due to a doubling of the words on the front
You should prioritize your research on silver coins, says Steve Feltner, director of coin education and lead of the grading team, because they are the most valuable.
You’d better look at the silver coins—ten, quarters and half dollars—and you’re looking for those 1969 or earlier, he said.
“The things people often look for are variety and something out of the ordinary from tradition.”
1972 Lincoln Cent Double Obverse – $3,500
The Philadelphia-minted Lincoln cent is widely available in circulation and each coin has a value of up to $3,500.
Easily identifiable by the words “In God We Trust,” “Freedom,” and “1972” on the front of the solidly doubled coin.
There are over 10 different 1972 Lincoln Cent double dies, but only this one is considered a prime.
It is also very popular with coin collectors because the detail is strong enough to be seen with the naked eye.
The coin sold for $14,400 at the Long Beach Expo autograph coin auction in June 2019.
Nearly three billion Lincoln cents were minted in Philadelphia in 1972 and are in circulation.
This Lincoln cent is easily recognizable as the words “In God We Trust,” “Freedom,” and “1972” on the obverse of the coin have a strong doubling
1972 Kennedy Half Dollar Without FG Initials- 1000 Dollars
This rare Kennedy half dollar coin, minted in Denver, has a value of up to $1,000 because a small percentage of those produced were not imprinted with designer-FG’s initials by Frank Gasparro.
They were to appear on the reverse of the coin between the eagle’s left leg and its tail.
While it appears to be an error on the part of the engraver, it is more likely that the dies were milled to remove clash marks and, in the process, erased the initials.
This variety was discovered in 1983 and remains “currently very rare” to this day.
It sold for a record $2,485 at the Long Beach Expo’s signature coin auction in September 2016.
There were 141 million Kennedy half dollars minted in Denver in 1972 and are in circulation.
This rare Kennedy half dollar coin, minted in Denver, is worth as much as $1,000 because a small percentage of those produced were not imprinted with the designer’s initials
Franck Gasparo’s “FG” was to appear on the reverse of the coin between the eagle’s left leg and tail
1982 Roosevelt Dime Missing Mint Mark – $100
These Philadelphia Roosevelt dimes are worth a thousand times their original face value because they are missing the “P” mint mark.
The error was originally discovered in December 1982 and most of the coins were initially found in Sandusky Ohio, where approximately 8,000 to 10,000 coins were discovered.
It is the first and only commercial strike coin to leave the US Mint without containing the intended mint mark on the obverse.
This coin sold for a record price of $2,185 in May 2004.
At least 226 million Roosevelt cents were minted in Philadelphia in 1982 and are in circulation today.
These Philadelphia Roosevelt dimes are worth a thousand times their original face value because they are missing the “P” mint mark
It is the first and only US coin left without the intended obverse mint mark.
2004 Washington Quarter Bonus Reverse Note – $100
The 2004 Washington District, minted in Wisconsin, is readily available as there are millions in circulation.
The design on the reverse side features a cow, cheese wheel and an ear of corn and on some coins there is an extra leaf on the side of the corn.
Two variants have been discovered, one where the leaf hangs high and one where it hangs low.
The ‘High Leaf’ cultivar is the rarer of the two and has a price tag of around $100.
This variety was discovered in late December 2004 by Robert Ford and Coins made the news, with People all over the country are looking for them.
There have been reports of people finding as many as hundreds of them from wrapped bank rolls, making them appear plentiful.
The auction record for this coin is $6,000 and it was sold in Orlando, Florida in January 2020.
The Washington Half Billion Lives was minted in Wisconsin in 2004 and is in circulation today.
The 2004 Washington District, minted in Wisconsin, is readily available as there are millions in circulation.
The ‘High Leaf’ variety is the rarest and has a value of about $100
1995 Lincoln Double Cent Die Obverse- $50
The 1995 Philadelphia-minted Lincoln double cent is worth about $50 and is the last of its kind because the mint began using single-center technology that would only strike all dies once.
Character doubling can be clearly seen in the global “Liberty” mostly in the letters BER.
When coins were first discovered, they charged up to $300 per raw example.
Over time, many more examples were discovered and prices fell.
They are affordable and anyone can get them.
It sold for a record price of $5,053 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida in January 2017.
A total of 6.4 billion of these coins were produced in Philadelphia in 1995.
The 1995 Lincoln Double Cent minted in Philadelphia is worth about $50 and is the last of its kind because the mint started using a single spindle technology that would only strike all dies once.
Character doubling can be clearly seen in the global “Liberty” mostly in the letters BER
For those unlucky enough to find these rare coins in loose change, Feltner says searching for the coins is a good starting point for getting them.
It is the process of searching coin rolls, usually obtained from banks, to find rare and valuable coins.
A currency valuation expert said:The coin hunt is a good starting point for those looking to collect rare coins.
“You don’t need a lot of investment and you can sort it out while watching TV.”
But he insisted that any coin collectors should buy a Cherry Collectors Guide and use it to point to any coins they find to see if they are of value.
He added, “Education is the biggest thing. The proverb is to buy the book before the coin because by spending $40, they can save hundreds of dollars in appreciation fees.”
It costs $23 to get coins worth up to $300 in a professional coin grading service and $40 for coins worth up to $2,500 and there is a two-month waiting period.
Their first service costs $70 and is for coins up to $10,000 and lasts for two weeks.
