7 Rare Coins To Sell in 2025 To Boost Your Retirement Savings
Written by
Vance Cariaga
Edited by
Amen Oyiboke
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Everyone knows the importance of saving for retirement, but not everyone is great at it. The most recent data from the Federal Reserve shows that the median retirement savings is $185,000 for Americans ages 55 to 64 — the group closest to retirement.
That’s well below the recommended goal of having up to eight times your annual income saved by this age.
Separate research from Prudential found that two-thirds of 55-year-olds fear they’ll outlive their retirement savings. One way to lower the likelihood of that happening is to cash in valuable items – including rare coins. Depending on the coin, you could fatten your nest egg by tens of thousands of dollars or even more.
You might even have rare, valuable coins sitting around the house without even realizing it. If you need to give your retirement savings a boost in 2025, check for the following seven rare coins and try to sell them on the collector’s market.
What Makes a High-Value Coin
Coins are usually rare due to an error in the minting process. Here are some of the most common errors:
- Double die: This is a coin with a duplication of design elements due to a misalignment of the die that engraves designs.
- Missing mint markings: The mint mark is a letter that identifies where a coin was made. If the mint mark is missing, you could have a very valuable coin on your hands.
- Planchet errors: Planchets are the round, blank pieces of metal used to make coins. Planchet errors mean they might have the wrong shape or thickness, or no engraving at all
- Strike errors: A coin’s “strike” refers to the step in the minting process when the design is pressed onto the coin. Strike errors include misaligned designs or designs being struck on the wrong coin.
Most of the coins on this list were minted in the U.S. within the last 100 years, which means they might still be in circulation. For hardcore collectors, there are also a couple of older and very rare European coins listed. Keep in mind that only coins in top condition will fetch the highest prices.
1979 Susan B. Anthony Dollar Over 1978 Jefferson Nickel: $15,275
This coin features a minting mistake with the image of Susan B. Anthony stamped over the top of Monticello on a Jefferson nickel. Overstamps are rare to begin with, but this one stands out because it involves two separate years.
1970-S Small Date Lincoln Penny: $18,400
The large-date version of this coin will show a 7 which is fairly level with the rest of the date, whereas the small-date version is not nearly as level.
1925-D Lincoln Penny: $21,600+
Brown versions of this penny are often more affordable than red varieties. Values of all varieties can range from $2,000 to $75,000.
1969-S Lincoln Penny Double Die: $25,000
A small portion of the 1969-S penny mintage from San Francisco showed the double die error, pushing up its value.
1947 Washington Quarter: $32,400
A Washington Quarter from 1947 in circulated condition is worth between $4.65 and $7.25. However, those in pristine, uncirculated condition typically sell for $10,000 or more.
1670 French Louis XIV 15 Sols: $132,000
This coin was struck in the Paris Mint for use in France’s New World colonies. About 40,000 were minted, but circulation was limited and most were eventually melted down.
1871 Spanish Amadeo I Gold Specimen 100 Pesetas: $240,000
The Heritage Auctions website refers to this coin as a “sensational Spanish rarity in gold.” One reason it is rare is because the reign of King Amadeo I only lasted a bit more than two years, leaving little time for production on a mass scale.
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