Everyone dreams of striking it rich by, say, playing the lottery, but there’s another easy — and immensely lucky — way to make a fortune virtually overnight: by finding a valuable coin. We’re talking quarters, dimes, nickels and even pennies.
A few aspects factor into what makes a coin rare and thus valuable, including mintage, population estimates, age, condition, demand, design and bullion content.
But now for the burning question: How do you get your hands on a valuable coin that you could potentially sell for thousands of dollars? Here’s where you’ll want to look.
The Bank
There is such a thing as a professional coin hunter, and this individual has a favorite destination to search for valuable coins: The bank.
Coin hunters get rolls of coins from the bank, break them open and diligently search for deviations and other signs that the coins might be of extra value.
The method has worked for some. In 2017, coin hunter Megan Green went to a local bank and got 50 rolls of pennies and found a 1969-S Doubled Die Obverse — a rare coin that was worth $24,000, Coin World and CNBC reported.
Take Our Poll: What Do You Plan To Use Your Tax Refund For?
Take a Penny, Leave a Penny
We’re all familiar with those friendly “take a penny, leave a penny” trays that some convenience stores and other retailers offer for customers who may be short on change. These can be ideal places to find rare coins, because you never know what someone else has unwittingly left behind.
“I’ve found lots of valuable pennies in those coin trays over the years,” said Joshua on a blog for U.S. Coins Guide. “I even found a few 1950s Lincoln wheat pennies that appeared to be uncirculated!”
According to Coin Trackers, a 1950 Lincoln wheat penny can be worth up to $20. It won’t pay all the bills, but it’s worth a heck of a lot more than a penny.
Pocket Change
It sounds obvious, but pocket change really can render some valuable coins. After all, you won’t know until you look. Blogger Joshua from U.S. Coins Guide reports that he found a 1941 Lincoln penny by sifting through pocket change. This coin could be worth $9 or $10, depending on the condition and mint, according to Coin Trackers.
Around the House and in Old Coin Jars
In a desperate hunt for cash, we’ve all flipped over couch cushions, but have you ever done so in a savvy search for a rare coin? It’s time to do just that. If you have a jar that you use to keep coins to cash into dollar bills every so often, you’ll want to take the time to sift through that. A gem just may be waiting in the heap.
Piggy Banks
It may sound ruthless, but your kid’s piggy bank is yet another destination where spare change is hiding out. Consider slipping your kid a $5 bill (or whatever the rough equivalent in paper money would be) in exchange for the coins. Your child could be sitting on a gold mine.
Spare Change of Friends and Family
Brother, can you spare a dime? What about all of your coins? Just for a look?
It’s an awkward ask, but if you say you’re on the hunt for valuable treasure, your family and friends might oblige you and let you go through their coins — especially if you promise to share any profit with them.
Vending Machines
Vending machines are coin hotspots. Not only might people accidentally leave coins behind in them, but you can get fresh coins as change after you make a purchase.
Additionally, as Joshua from U.S. Coins Guide points out, vending machines often can be used to trade coins. If you drop change into a vending machine coin slot and then press the “change return” button before choosing an item, you likely will get different coins back. This is a great hack for accessing “new” coins.
Use a Metal Detector
Do you own a wand metal detector? If you do, you can put it to special coin-finding use. Just wave it around on the ground in front of you and it will sense any coins (or other metals) hiding out. Perfect for beaches and parks!
More From GOBankingRates