Do YOU have a fortune stuffed in your couch? These stray coins could net you a combined $4,750
Everyone likes to find extra money in an old pair of jeans or on the back of the couch – but many may be sitting on a small fortune.
A single coin in your wallet or loose change jar can even be worth thousands of dollars, so it’s worth digging through to see if you have a rare collectible.
The Lincoln cent coin minted in Philadelphia in 1972 is worth a whopping $3,500 because of the doubling of the words on the front.
And a 1972 half dollar minted in Denver sells for about $1,000 because it lacks the designer’s initials.
The two main factors that make a coin rare and valuable are the doubling of the letters on the face, known as the double die, and whether there are any aspects of a design missing or additional details.
DailyMail.com spoke to a coin valuation specialist to reveal the most valuable coins in circulation that could be hiding in your pocket.
The Lincoln cent coin minted in Philadelphia in 1972 is worth a whopping $3,500 because of the words on the front doubling
Steve Feltner, team leader of numismatic education and assessment, says you should prioritize searching silver coins as they are the most valuable.
He said, “It’s better to look through silver coins — dimes, quarters, and half dollars — and you’re looking for coins minted in 1969 or earlier.
“What people often look for is variety and something outside the norm of tradition.”
1972 Lincoln penny double die obverse – $3,500
This Lincoln penny minted in Philadelphia is widely available in circulation and each coin is worth up to $3,500.
It is easily recognized by the words ‘In God We Trust’, ‘Liberty’ and ‘1972’ on the face of the coin heavily doubling.
There are over 10 different duplicate cancels for this 1972 Lincoln Cent, but only this type is considered significant.
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 a record $14,400 at the Long Beach Expo coin auction in June 2019.
Nearly three billion Lincoln cents were minted in Philadelphia in 1972 and are in circulation.
This Lincoln penny is easily identified by the words ‘In God We Trust’, ‘Liberty’ and ‘1972’ on the face of the coin.
1972 Kennedy Half Dollar No FG Initials – $1,000
Minted in Denver, this rare half dollar Kennedy coin is worth up to $1,000 because a small percentage of the coins produced were not printed with the designer’s initials – FG for Frank Gasparo.
They were to appear on the reverse of the coin between the eagle’s left leg and tail.
Although it appears to be an engraver’s mistake, it is more likely that the dies were ground down to remove impact marks, erasing the initials in the process.
This variety was discovered in 1983 and remains ‘very rare’ to this day.
It sold for a record $2,485 at the Long Beach Expo coin auction in September 2016.
There were 141 million half dollar Kennedy coins minted in Denver in 1972 and they are in circulation.
This rare half dollar Kennedy coin minted in Denver is worth up to $1,000 because a small percentage of coins produced were not printed with the designer’s initials
‘FG’ for Frank Gasparo would appear on the reverse of the coin between the eagle’s left leg and tail
1982 Roosevelt Dime Missing Mint Mark – $100
These Philadelphia minted Roosevelt dime coins are worth a thousand times their original face value because they lack the ‘P’ mintmark.
The flaw was originally discovered in December 1982, and most of the coins were initially found in Sandusky Ohio, where about 8,000 to 10,000 coins were reportedly discovered.
It is the first and only business strike coin to leave the US Mint without the intended mint mark on the face of the coin.
This coin sold in May 2004 for a record $2,185.
At least 226 million Roosevelt dime coins were minted in Philadelphia in 1982 and are still in circulation today.
These Philadelphia-minted Roosevelt dime coins are worth a thousand times their original face value because they lack the ‘P’ mintmark
It is the first and only business strike coin to leave the US Mint without the intended mint mark on the face of the coin
2004 Washington Quarter Extra Leaf High Reverse – $100
The 2004 Washington quarter, minted in Wisconsin, is readily available as there are millions in circulation.
The design on the reverse features a cow, cheese wheel and ear of corn, and some coins feature an extra leaf on the side of the corn.
Two different types have been discovered, one where the leaf hangs high and another where it hangs low.
The ‘high leaf’ variety is the rarer of the two and is worth around $100.
This variety was discovered by Robert Ford at the end of December 2004 and the coins made the news people all over the country looking for them.
There were reports that people found hundreds of rolls wrapped in the bank, making it seem as if they were plentiful.
The auction record for this coin is $6,000 and it sold in January 2020 in Orlando, Florida.
Half a billion Washington quarters were minted in Wisconsin in 2004 and are still in circulation today.
The 2004 Washington quarter, minted in Wisconsin, is readily available as there are millions in circulation.
The ‘high leaf’ variety is the rarest and is worth about $100
1995 Lincoln penny double die obverse – $50
The 1995 double die Lincoln penny, minted in Philadelphia, is worth about $50 and it’s the last of its kind because mints started using a single hub technique that would only hit all dies once.
The duplication of letters is clearly seen in the world ‘Liberty’ especially in the letters BER.
When the coins were first discovered, they ran for as much as $300 for each blank.
As time passed, many more specimens were discovered and prices fell.
They are easily affordable and anyone can get their hands on it.
It sold for a record $5,053 in January 2017 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
In 1995, a total of 6.4 billion of these coins were produced in Philadelphia.
The 1995 double die Lincoln penny minted in Philadelphia is worth about $50 and it is the last of its kind because mints started using a single hub technique that would only hit all dies once
The duplication of letters is clearly seen in the world ‘Liberty’ especially in the letters BER
For those not lucky enough to come across these rare coins in their spare change, Feltner says looking for coin rolls is a good starting point to get your hands on them.
It is the process of searching through rolls of coins, usually obtained from banks, to find rare and valuable coins.
The coin valuation expert said: ‘The coin roll hunt is a good starting point for those who want to collect rare coins.
“You don’t need a lot of investment and you can figure them out while watching TV.”
But he has insisted that all coin collectors should buy the Cherry Pickers’ Guide and use it to reference any coins they find to see if they are valuable.
He added: “Education is the most important thing. The saying goes, buy the book before the mint because by spending $40 they can save hundreds of dollars on review fees.’
It costs $23 to appraise coins up to $300 with the Professional Coin Grading Service and $40 for coins up to $2,500 and there is a two-month waiting period.
While their premium service costs $70 and is for coins worth up to $10,000 and has a two week turnaround time.