Remember how exciting it was when the U.S. Mint began releasing the 50 State Quarters series and other different coins throughout the years? While most people were excited about finding the NEW coins, others were carefully checking these coins for mistakes, which could lead to big, big money…
Today, misprinted or rare coins can be worth hundreds of times their original value! While you may not pay attention to an old penny or the lettering on a quarter, maybe you should start…
Below are 8 of the most common rare coins that could be worth some money in good condition. Finding one of these coins is much like finding a needle in a haystack, but it doesn't hurt to check the change in your pocket. You could go from counties pennies to big bills in no time. Next time you throw that coin in a well, check it first… you never know how much you can make off what's in your wallet!
Check out the top 8 most valuable common coins below and don't forget to SHARE!
#1 - 2004 Wisconsin state quarter with an extra leaf
From 1999 to 2008, the United States treasury released the 50 States Quarters series, which had different icons to represent every state from Alabama to Wyoming. Back in 2004, you probably didn't look closely at the Wisconsin quarter, but maybe you should today. If it has an extra on the left side, it could be worth 1200 times its price… that's $300!
#2 - 1995 double die penny
You would have NEVER noticed it before… who pays that much attention to a penny?! Luckily someone noticed that some '95 pennies were double printed and it makes the "LIBERTY" and "IN GOD WE TRUST" look blurry. In case you do notice this error, you could make $20-50 on that 1 cent!
#3 - 1942-1945 silver Jefferson nickel
When World War II broke out, the United States had to pinch pennies any way possible. Nickel was highly valued for armor plating and Congress ordered the removal of that metal and used 35% silver, 56% copper and 9% manganese instead. Today, you can find these rare coins by the "P" that appears on the back… and if you do, you could buy yourself a nice lunch for about $20!
#4 - 1943 steel penny
Pennies were made only from steel for the same reason nickels were made from silver and other components during wartime. If you notice Lincoln's head is silver-colored and not copper, you could get yourself $10!
#5 - Ben Franklin half-dollar
From 1948 until 1963, the United States mint churned out half-dollar coins with Benjamin Franklin on them. These coins were produced until John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1964, when JFK replaced Franklin. Today, the rare half-dollars can be worth up to 250 times their monetary value. That's $125 for 50 cents!
#6 - 1932-1964 silver quarter
From 1932 to 1964, the U.S. mint produced quarters that were approximately 90% silver and 10% copper. These quarters may look like any regular .25 coin, but in the right condition they could be worth up to $65!
#7 - 'In God We Rust' 2005 Kansas state quarter
It may seem like a major mistake, but in 2005 some KANSAS state quarters were misprinted to say "In God We Rust" or "NSAS" instead of Kansas, all because someone didn't properly clean the coin press! Today these mistake quarters could be worth up to $100 each!
#8 - Presidential dollar coin with lettering errors
The U.S. Mint began releasing dollar coins featuring Presidents in 2007. However, in the beginning there were many coins erroneously released with incorrect or missing letters on the edges. The biggest mistake circulated was George Washington coins without any etching on the sides. Today these $1 coins could be worth $45!
