Experts Say There Are Quarters Out There Each Worth $35,000 And Here’s How You Can Spot Them

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What’s the most money you’ve ever found on the ground? A nickel? A dollar? How about $35,000? Yep, if you’re extremely lucky, you may just come across a quarter worth not 25 cents but thousands. There are easy ways to spot these special coins, too. So grab your piggy bank and read on to see if you're sitting on a secret goldmine!

It all started when Las Vegas coin dealer Mike Byers listed a quarter on eBay. He was asking $35,000 for the coin – which is a heck of a lot given its face value. And there was a lot of interest. More than 1,500 eBay users were “watching” the listing, and the seller received plenty of inquiries about the item, too. So, why were people willing to spend so much on a quarter?

 

And what exactly made this coin so desirable? To start with, it’s a proof quarter. Proof coins are the first ones to go through the press, and they’re the ones that get checked for quality before the coins are mass minted and released for general use. Their rarity makes them covetable items for collectors.

 

During WWI, though, the United States Mint abandoned the proofing process altogether in order to conserve metal. It would be 1936 before it started proofing coins again. And today, we don’t actually use coins as tests at a mint. Instead, proof coins now tend to be high-quality items made in small batches and sold with certificates of authenticity. What was so extraordinary about Byers’ coin, then?

 

Well, Byers’ very special item was a 1970-S proof quarter struck over a 1941 Canadian quarter. Some of the original coin’s details can still be seen, including a faint “1941” on the tails side. On the heads side, meanwhile, you may be able to view some Latin writing around the border.

 

The coin in question came from a set that was sold off by the state government in California. That collection was also inspected by the U.S. Secret Service before it was deemed legal to own. And the reason why this coin is worth so much money? That’s because, as Byers has explained on his website, “proof errors are aggressively sought after by many error collectors.”

 

Byers also went into more detail about how the mint makes proof coins and why they are so collectible. “Proof coins are struck by technicians who hand feed the blanks into special presses. They are produced, examined and packaged using extreme quality control,” he explained. “It is very unusual to find major proof errors. A few broadstrikes, off-centers, double strikes in collars and off-metals have been known to be found in sealed proof sets.” That may make no sense to you, but trust us: they all add up to money in the bank!

 

Is Byers’ coin legit, though? Well, take it from the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation. It told Snopes, “Yes, the coin is NGC certified. We do not know how the struck Canadian coin ended up with planchets and being struck by 1970 25c dies at the San Francisco Mint.” For those of us who aren’t coin experts, a planchet is a coin that has not been fully minted but has been given a rim during the first stage of the process.

 

Numismatic Guaranty Corporation has also certified another coin that Byers is selling. And, incredibly, that one’s said to be worth even more than $35,000! As with the other 1970-S proof quarter, the San Francisco Mint created this coin in the 1970s. Offered for $75,000, it was also part of the collection looked at by the Secret Service and then auctioned by the State of California. Thinking of investigating your change yet?

 

That expensive proof Washington quarter was over-struck on a silver Barber quarter. Coin collectors will be happy, too, to see that some of the original details of the silver Barber quarter are visible on both sides of the coin. And Byers emphasized just how special the item is on his listing, saying, “This is one of the most famous U.S. proof major mint errors ever released from the San Francisco Mint.” Best of all, there are only two coins like this one still in existence.

 

But while there may only be two Washington quarters struck over silver Barbers, there are plenty of other examples of amazing and interesting minting errors. And a 2017 article published by website The Spruce detailed some of the most intriguing. Who knows? You may even have some of these coins in your wallet right now!

 

Two of the examples that the site mentions are double die obverse coins, which appear on Lincoln cents on 1970-S and 1972 coins. These are fairly easy to spot, as the doubling of words on the coins is visible. The 1970-S Lincoln cent values at around $3,000, while the 1972 cent will set you back about $500. Not bad! But there’s more.

 

You’ll have hit the jackpot if you find a 1969-S Lincoln cent with a double die obverse. According to The Spruce, this coin is “exceedingly rare” and sells for around $35,000. Yes, really! Apparently, “the early specimens were confiscated by the Secret Service until the U.S. Mint admitted they were genuine.” So, how do you find one of these marvels?

 

Well, you need to search for specific clues. The Spruce told readers to “look for clear doubling of the entire obverse – or “heads” – side, except for the mint mark.” But be aware. “If the mint mark is doubled, it is probably a case of strike doubling rather than a doubled die, which isn’t worth much,” the article added.

 

Another less pricey minting error will net you a still-respectable $30 to $50. The 1982 no mint mark Roosevelt dime is missing its minting letter “P” for Philadelphia. “At the point in time that these coins were made, the dyes sent to the individual branch mints would be punched with the proper mint mark letter for that branch,” The Spruce explained. “This variety is believed to be caused because one or more non-punched dies were used to make coins.”

 

The lowest-priced coins that The Spruce highlighted have been valued at $50 – but this price is not per coin, it’s per roll. These are uncirculated state quarters. “As the economy has worsened, people who have been hoarding rolls of state quarters have been spending them into circulation,” The Spruce revealed. Still, it’s worth checking your change – just in case.

 

The article went on to explain that demand for these rolls “changes from time to time based on major coin dealer promotions.” What should you look for? In particular, quarters from the states of Georgia, Connecticut, Tennessee and Illinois. You should know, though, that all the coins must be uncirculated.

 

And if you’re looking for something special to add to your collection, then Byers has some very pricey items for sale. One mint error coin is available for a staggering $150,000, as it features an apparently one-of-a-kind minting mistake. The Byers website describes the coin as a “proof 1992 Canada $15 struck on $50 gold planchet 1oz maple leaf 31.1 grams PCGS PR 67 deep cameo.” Makes no sense to us, but if you're a coin fiend, you’ll know how special that is.

 

Byers goes on to explain the coin’s high price tag. “This is one of the rarest, most expensive and spectacular Canadian mint error coins known,” he wrote. This particular example was pressed on a planchet meant for a gold maple leaf coin, making it a real rarity. Have you got the coin-collecting bug yet?

 

Well, if you want to know even more about the most valuable coins in the world, Byers is the author of the handy book World’s Greatest Mint Errors. That tells you what to look out for – even if you’re a total coin newbie. And who knows? Maybe you’ll be able to snap up your own rare quarter one day. Fingers crossed!

 

Right now you’re probably feeling compelled to check every nook and cranny for some old coins. But don't forget to scan those old dollar bills too! Just like coins, dollars have errors that make them worth way more than a buck. Repeated serial numbers, errors, and misalignments can make a dollar worth more than you'd think. But that's just the beginning of the currency collector's secrets.

 

Bills that are torn beyond the point of being three-quarters of the way should be sent to a rather dramatically named office — the Mutilated Currency Division. Besides sounding like Rob Zombie's next blockbuster, the Mutilated Currency Division of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing determines which ragged notes get replaced.

 

Over the years, most of the bills in circulation have been spruced up — except for the dollar bill. Why hasn't the U.S. Mint given the single the same treatment as the fancy new $50 note? Well, according to the Treasury Department, it's owed to the fact that counterfeiters don't really waste their time trying to reproduce smaller denominations.

 

While many a rap song has chronicled the art of \ 

You'd have better odds of whipping up the right combination of chemicals by magic than learning the exact kind of ink used on US dollar bills. The Treasury Bureau keeps their ink recipe under lock and key for obvious anti-counterfeiting reasons.

 

As of 2020, if you had the world's largest money counting machine and ran all the US dollar bills in circulation through it, there would be 13.1 billion dollars — just in singles. Now that's enough to buy every single item in the dollar store for the rest of your life and beyond.

 

That pyramid with the floating eye? It doesn't have anything to do with the Illuminati, magic, or any other Nicolas Cage-National Treasure style conspiracy theory. No, the pyramid actually represents the original 13 colonies. The floating top represents the future of the nation yet to be discovered, while the \ 

If you've ever wondered about the path of the singles in your wallet, your imagination shouldn't wander too far into the past. According to the Federal Reserve, dollar bills only circulate for roughly 6.6 years before they meet their eventual end. Though, if you're really curious about our your green's epic journey, there's hope.

 

To trace the path of your dollar bills, all you need to do is visit a website called Where's George. With a quick search of the serial number, the site generates the list of zip codes where the bill has previously been tracked! So while a buck might not be registered through every transaction, it is possible to see where the bill spent much of its time.

 

Given that the Federal Reserve claims a dollar bill is designed to be folded 4,000 times over the course of its lifespan, ripped singles seem a little more special. It takes a lot of bending and wallet wiggling for a dollar bill to reach the point of tearing apart. But if you do manage to rip one up, here's what you can do.

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Not everybody is a fan of huge stacks of singles! While holding a wad of dollar bills does provide the feeling of being momentarily flush with cash, some policymakers argue that the time has come to replace them with something better. The idea of switching it up in favor of a $1 coin has been floated several times.

 

While the \ 

Some say 13 is an unlucky number, but those people didn't design the US dollar bill. In fact, the single is packed with instances of the number 13. To name a few — the olive branches, olive fruits, arrows, stars, bars on the shield, and rungs on the pyramid all appear in groups of thirteen.

 

You'd be hard-pressed to get your hands on a real bill larger than $100 in the US these days. While the Treasury Department did produce notes of much larger value, like the $500, $1000, $5000, and $10000, they were primarily for bank transfers, not circulation in the general public. Most have since been discontinued. Still, those aren't the highest US denomination ever printed.

 

The distinction of the most valuable piece of currency ever produced by the Treasury belongs to the $100,000 Series 1934 Gold Certificate. These notes, emblazoned with the face of President Woodrow Wilson, never made it into the hands of the public. During the short period of their production from December 18th of 1934 to January 9th of 1935, the $100,000 bill was exclusively used by the Federal Reserve banking system.

 

As the COVID-19 pandemic brought to wider attention, money is filthy! Dollar bills can carry all kinds of viruses and bacteria, and that's not all. A 1996 scientific study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology determined that traces of cocaine can be found on 79% of $1 bills!

 

Up until 1957, the first First Lady of the United States, Martha Washington, was the face of a form of currency, marking the only time a husband and wife have appeared on money. Starting in 1886, the since-discontinued $1 silver certificate was minted with her portrait.

 

How cost-effective can it be to make a single-dollar bill? Pretty astoundingly cheap! Making a single runs the Federal Reserve a mere 5.5 cents each time, which isn't bad at all. It's good that they save on producing singles because other forms of currency actually cost more to make than their worth.

 

As it happens, the higher the denomination of the bill, the more it costs to make, with the most expensive being the fifty dollar note, totaling 19 cents each. Though on the other hand, the lowest form of currency — the penny — is a total loss, costing 2.06 cents to produce.

 

Given their financial loss, don't feel bad about pressing pennies. While destroying currency seems like a risky thing to do, there's no need to worry — the Treasury Department is okay with it. As it happens, pressed pennies have a rich history, one that predates the coin squashing machines of today.

 

At least, 1818 is the year in which the first documented pressed penny was produced. That was created by a jeweler in Vienna, at a time when the Austrian Empire itself was still freshly coined. However, it would still be a few decades before the item became commonplace as a souvenir.

 

Four different designs of pressed penny were minted for the 1892-93 World’s Columbian Exposition, in what would be their first appearance stateside. The expo was held in Chicago to commemorate 400 years since Christopher Columbus “discovered” America.

 

While most people stick to the machines that safely mass-produce pressed pennies, a few individuals go about it in a much riskier fashion. In 2014, for instance, 17-year-old Brandt Torres was pulled under a train and tragically killed while trying to press pennies on the tracks near the city of Livonia in Michigan.

 

Despite statute 18 USC Section 331, which outlaws the mutilation of coins, it is perfectly legal to press pennies in the U.S. That’s because the law only forbids the alteration of coins if they’re being used as fraudulent currency – but as pressed pennies are souvenirs and not to be spent, they’re fine.

 

North of the border, however, the law is a little different. Section 11(1) of Canada’s Currency Act, which outlaws the defacing or mutilation of coins, doesn’t hinge on whether said coins will be passed off as currency or not. So pressing pennies there is completely off the table.

 

You may decide to build your own penny-pressing machine, but after contemplating the complex mathematics of it all, you will discover quite quickly it takes a tremendous amount of force to squash a coin – 5,070 pounds per roller, in fact. That’s a lot of pressure.

 

You’ve probably seen them called everything from a penny presser to a penny squisher or, indeed, a crusher. But the machines that produce pressed pennies are actually called “elongation machines,” and the results are technically “elongated coins.” Of course, that doesn’t have quite the same ring to it…

 

Exonumia – in case you’re wondering – are objects that look like money, but aren’t circulated as such. So pressed pennies fall very specifically under that definition: you shouldn’t try to pass them off as actual coins, but they definitely bear a strong resemblance to them.

 

In tandem with the technical term for the pennies themselves, the people who go out of their way to collect them also have their own “exo” branding. Indeed, the, well, collective name for them is “exonumists,” which sounds pretty exotic if not a little exoteric.

 

Theme parks are always a great hotspot for pressed penny machines, and Disneyland is no exception. Each park contains a total of 40 different machines, each with three different designs. That’s a lot of collecting to do – and you’ll have to hunt high and low and spend a pretty penny to seek them all out.

 

Matt Masich is a self-described “elongate collector,” and he takes his hobby seriously. He’s even traveled around the state of Colorado just to search for pressed penny variants. Masich documented his journey in a 2013 article for Colorado Life Magazine, revealing in the process that he had dubbed the trip “The Penny Quest.”

 

And there’s a scientific reason for it, too. Cents – or pennies – made before 1982 are made of pure copper and when pressed remain the same color. Modern versions, however, are actually made from copper-plated zinc, and when pressed these coins show silver-colored streaks through the copper plating.

 

With so many pressed pennies available, there’s pretty much no way to get your hands on every single one unless you started collecting decades ago. As a consequence, those new to the hobby usually specialize in certain subjects, such as certain expos or perhaps space-related or political coins. Others may spend their time trying to collect every coin from a particular type of machine.

 

After the first pressed pennies were introduced in 1892, interest boomed for a couple of decades. In 1916, though, the number of pennies being rolled suddenly dropped off – and it stayed that way for another 16 years. The exact reason for this lull is still unknown to this day; perhaps people needed a change.

 

Keeping track of a pressed penny collection can be tricky, considering the volume of coins out there. It’s little wonder, then, that books cataloging their availability have been published – and they’re hefty tomes. Indeed the most recent, published in 1990, came to a whopping 1,700 pages.

 

Like many collectable items, pressed pennies are prone to weathering over time. As a result, enthusiasts have devised various methods for brightening and cleaning up their stash – from using a simple pencil eraser to covering their coins in an unusual combination of ketchup and baking soda.

 

If you’ve ever looked closely at a pressed penny, you’ll probably have noticed the letters engraved into one end and wondered what they mean. They actually signify either the coin’s designer, engraver or roller. Collectors have even established reference lists of known initials, so you can look up who was involved in the production of your souvenir penny.

 

Everything from prescription pill bottles and film canisters to gum containers and candy tubes have been used to host a pressed penny collection, with many such possible storage solutions listed on the Penny Collector website. And while anyone with a sizeable number of coins may have to get through a lot of candy as a result, they’ll at least have a more novel way to display them than by simply keeping them in a book.

 

One reason it’s difficult for collectors to hunt down every single pressed variant is undoubtedly the fact that they’d have to scour basically the entire globe for them. In fact, there are machines in places as far-flung as Liechtenstein, San Marino, Taiwan and Kazakhstan.

 

Perhaps the single biggest organization of pressed penny enthusiasts is The Elongated Collectors, which was first founded in 1966. Since then, however, the non-profit community has swelled to include more than 650 participants located all over the world. The organization has an annual meeting in the U.S., but members in other countries also take part in “mini-meets” to discuss their collections and swap any spare change.

 

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It all started when Las Vegas coin dealer Mike Byers listed a quarter on eBay. He was asking $35,000 for the coin – which is a heck of a lot given its face value. And there was a lot of interest. More than 1,500 eBay users were “watching” the listing, and the seller received plenty of inquiries about the item, too. So, why were people willing to spend so much on a quarter?

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