A look at some of the world's most expensive silver & gold coins

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A look at some of the world's most expensive silver & gold coins

August 21, 2012 189 view(s)

Collectors love a unique, valuable coin. When we start to look at some of the most valuable specimens out there today, a natural place to start is the 1804 Class I Silver Dollar. Even though it is not made of gold, specimens have certainly sold for much larger figures than many others minted with the yellow metal. What makes this particular coin so exotic among valuable coins is partially its design, as well as the class it is in. In 2010, a specimen now held by the Queller collection sold for over $3.7 million, which places it among the world's most expensive coins.

The 1804 Class I Silver Dollar, despite the date the coin bears, was actually minted in 1834. There are eight of those coins known to be in existence. Another version other than the Queller collection mentioned earlier does exist. It is in better condition and is the 4th most valuable coin in the world, making it worth more than many other gold coins known today. This specimen was once owned by the King of Siam and was sold in 2001, among other coins, fetching over $4 million.

Not all coins are valued by their date, however. One particularly impressive specimen is a gold coin that has a face value of $1 million and was minted by the Royal Canadian Mint. It shows on its face a profile of Queen Elizabeth II with Canadian maple leaves on the reverse, and it weighs a whopping 100 kilos - that weight being 99.999 percent pure gold. At an auction in Austria, a buyer paid $4 million for it, making it one of the world's most expensive coins ever made.

Another valuable gold coin is the Brasher Doubloon which features the initials EB on the breast of the eagle shown clutching arrows and olive branches. It was minted in 1787 and the initials it bears refer to a goldsmith by the name of Ephraim Brasher who allegedly lived in New York not far from a house owned by George Washington. This coin contained .917 grams of gold and weighed 26.6 grams. When it finally reached auction, it sold for more than $2.9 million.

As impressive as these coins are, the final 2 most valuable coins are worth much more. The 1933 Saint-Gaudens Gold Double Eagle coin represents the last year this coin was minted with this design. However, it was not circulated and those coins were supposed to have been melted down. Somehow, this coin still remains and it is worth over $7.5 million today.

The most valuable coin known today is the 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar, made of silver. It is considered to be something of a national treasure to the California collector who once owned it. Long considered to be one of the rarest and most impressive of U.S. coins, it sold for $7.85 million, making it the coin worth the most today either of silver or gold.

Clearly, the value of these coins proves to those who collect them that they do indeed appreciate substantially given the right care and the right conditions in the world around them. For those who want to diversify, coins could be a truly excellent choice.


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