These 5 coins are worth millions

 The 1804 Draped Bust dollar has quite an interesting story behind it, which is part of what makes this an extremely valuable coin.  The 1904 Draped Bust Dollar was actually specially struck as gifts for foreign dignitaries.

The Draped Bust dollar was actually only struck until 1803, but in 1834 new coins were struck for the diplomatic missions, and the date 1804 was chosen as they mistakenly thought that the final date of the Draped Bust dollar was 1804, when in fact it was 1803.  

There are 8 of these coins known in existence, so it's no wonder that this is a valuable and highly sought after coin worth millions. In 2021, an PR68 graded coin sold for $7,680,000!

1804 Draped Bust Dollar - Image courtesy of the 

National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History

Second on our list for coins raking in the millions is the 1822 Gold Half Eagle, another great American rarity in the world of numismatics.

There are only three of these coins known to exist, and out of those three, only one is privately owned; the other two 1822 Half Eagle’s are currently housed in the Smithsonian.

This particular coin was actually part of the Eliasberg collection, and recently sold in 2021 for $8.4 million!

                                                                                                                                1822 Capped Bust Half Eagle - Image courtesy of The Smithsonian

A coin that inspired a novel—which was later made into two films—as well as inspiring other novels over the years, The Brasher Doubloon is quite a famous coin.  It is likely the most well known rare coin in the United States, and it's worth much more than its weight in gold. 

Minted in 1787 by silversmith, and assayer, Ephraim Brasher, and is considered the first coin minted in and for the United States.  In 2021, this coin broke a record for gold coins in the U.S. when it was sold for $9.36 million! This record was actually broken again just 6 months later by another coin on our list..

1787 Brasher Doubloon - Image courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com

The 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar was the first dollar coin struck at the brand new Philadelphia Mint, and one of the earliest of the United States coinage.  This coin is certainly a piece of history, its no wonder it has sold for millions of dollars.

One specimen of the 1794 dollars is considered the finest known example, and often promoted as the very first Flowing Hair dollar minted, though there is no concrete proof, but it is entirely possible.  This coin sold in 2013 for a whopping $10,016,875! It was put up for auction again in 2020, but did not meet its reserve.

                                                                                                                                                               1794 flowing hair dollar - image courtesy of the 

                                                                                                                                                               National Numismatic Collection,

                                                                                                                                                               National Museum of American History

The famous 1933 Double Eagle is perhaps the most famous coin in the U.S. and certainly quite famous abroad as well.  Widely thought of as the most beautiful gold coin, this is one coin that everyone expects to be worth millions.

There is only one of these coins that is legal to own, as 1933 was the year that owning large amounts of gold was made illegal and the gold eagle’s of that year were melted down, though not before a few made it out.  

This particular one, known as the King Farouk specimen broke the record for gold coins in the U.S. previously set by the Brasher Doubloon earlier the same year when it sold in July 2021 for $18.9 million!

1933 Saint Gaudens Double Eagle - image courtesy of Sotheby's