Most valuable Gold Coins

There is a long list of popular gold coins in the gold market, and that list contains some of the most valuable gold coins to ever exist. Gold is gradually approaching $2,000 per ounce, and many people still collect it. Even if this precious metal rises to twice its price now, demand would still flow. 

Gold has always been treasured since the earliest centuries of civilization; it’s rare, valuable, and finite. Therefore, it’s not surprising that gold also produces many of the most valuable coins in history. Proof coins naturally have more value but there are also more valuable coins ranked based on their rarity, age, condition, metal composition, monetary value, and design. 

This section has compiled a list of the most valuable gold coins, ranging from historic coins pressed since 696 to coins as new as 2007.

Here is a list of some of the most valuable gold coins to include in gold IRA today:

723 Umayyad Gold Dinar

The Umayyad Gold Dinar dates back to the first millennia and it’s still available and pretty much valuable today. This 726 gold coin was sold for  $6million in 2011. Another version of the stone was auctioned in 2019 and sold for the same price.

According to experts, only about a dozen of the coins are in existence, so it’s pretty rare. This super antique coin is the most prized Islamic coin. It bears an Arabic marking that reads “mine of the commander of the faithful” and was mined from a location owned by the caliph. It is also the first Islamic coin to mention a location in Saudi Arabia. 

1343 Edward III Florin

This particular gold coin is acclaimed as the Double Leopard because of its unique design. The front of the coin features King Edward seated on his throne with the heads of two leopards mounted at his sides. Aside from its beautiful design, it’s very rare- there are only three known to exist.

In 1857, two of these coins were found in the River Tyne and are now displayed in the British Museum in London. The third one was found with a metal detector in 2006 by a prospector and was later sold at auction for $850,000. For a British coin, that was a record at the time. Recently, the coin has been much more valuable, estimated to be around $6.8 million.

1787 Brasher Doubloon

The Brasher Doubloon was forged by a New York City goldsmith and silversmith named Ephraim Brasher. It is very rare but other versions have sold for huge prices based on their uniqueness. A state seal and a rising sun were forged on the front of the coin, while the back shows the American eagle with a shield. 

In 2011, a version of the coin with Brasher’s ‘EB’ signature on the breast was sold for almost $7.4million. According to Coin World, in 2018, another version with the signature on the bird’s wing was sold for over $5 million. Another doubloon was sold for $9.36 million last year

1822 Half Eagle Capped Bust Gold

The 1822 Half Eagle gold coin was forged with 92% gold and 8% of silver and copper by John Reich in Philadelphia. He minted about 17, 796 of them with no mint mark. This coin is the most famous and desirable of all US gold coins. 

Due to the decrease in gold content in coins, 17,793 of these coins were melted down, leaving only 3 to survive, each of which is worth millions of dollars. The National Numismatic Collection currently houses 2 of them while the last one was collected by the Pogue Family Collection in 1982 with the sum of $687, 500. Currently, this coin is anticipated to sell for more than $10 million.

1854 Coronet Head Gold Half Eagle

The Coronet Head Gold Half Eagle was minted at San Francisco US by Christian Gobrecht. The metal composition is 90% gold and 10% copper and a number of 268 were originally forged.

Also known as the Liberty Head Gold Half Eagle, this 5$ gold coin is one of the rarest gold coins today. Out of the 268 that were originally produced, only 3 now exist today.

The first coin tagged as Boyd Coin was collected by F.C.C. Boyd in 1945. The second, Wolfson Coin, was found by a good coin dealer named Max Mehl but was later collected by Samuel W. Wolfson. The final coin, aka the Newcomer Coin, had a number of owners, including Max Mehl, King Farouk of Egypt and Waldo C. Newcomer. Later, it was given to the National Numismatic Collection by Josiah K. Lily Collection.

1870-S Indian Princess Head Gold

The 1870-S $3 Gold Piece is super rare as only 1 one of it was minted. It was forged in San Francisco by James B Longacre. Also, containing 90% gold and 10% copper, this is one of the most famous US gold coins, as it was specially minted to be placed on the cornerstone of the San Francisco Mint building. This coin is in Extremely Fine (E-40) condition with some minor damage on the rim. 

It was later purchased for $11, 500 in 1946 by Louis Eliasberg. This gold coin is now worth approximately $7 million.

1933 Saint- Gaudens Double Eagle

The Saint- Gaudens Double Eagle is one of the most famous US gold coins. It was forged in Philadelphia by Augustus Saint Gaudens. The metal composition of this coin is 90% gold and 10% copper and a large quantity of 445, 500 were minted. Despite the large quantity of these coins, they never went into circulation.

This antique coin is closely related to the Great Depression during the regime of President Franklin D. Roosevelt- which led to the release of an order to confiscate gold from the Federal Reserve. The rule outlawed the possession or circulation of US gold coins except for collectible gold coins. Unfortunately, gold was no longer legal tender then, so most of it melted. However, the US Mint saved 2 of the coins before presenting them to the US National Numismatic Collection.

Some of the coins survived too, passing from one collector to another. Most were discovered by the Secret Service in 1944, 1945, and 1954. They were delivered to the US Mint and got burnt.

2007 Gold Canadian Maple Leaf

The Gold Canadian Maple Leaf minted at the Royal Canadian Mint is the biggest and heaviest gold coin to ever exist. In 2007, it entered the Guinness Book of Records as the world’s biggest coin. It was minted to promote a new series of pure gold maple leaf coins. This particular coin is pretty valuable as it contains 99.9% gold and only 6 of them exist.

The front of the coin displays imagery of Queen Elizabeth II, while the reverse shows a Canadian Maple Leaf. The coin weighs around 10kg, is 3cm thick, and is 50cm wide. One behemoth can fetch up to $1 million, but this coin’s price can rapidly increase on demand. In 2010, it fetched $4 million in an auction.

What Makes A Gold Coin Valuable?

The major factors that makes a coin valuable are:

Mintage

An essential thing to look out for when determining the value of a gold coin is its mintage. With the mintage number, you can get to know the date it was minted alongside its mintmark. The mintage number on a gold coin represents how many of the coins were minted and issued by the US Mint. When there are more collectors than there are coins available, the mintage number is usually low. 

Design

The design of a good coin can relay messages of various historical, patriotic and cultural themes. 

Designs on coins have always been exquisite, bearing accurate and beautiful engravings. Some display imagery of emperors, indigenous fauna or significant historical symbols. Even the newest coins tell us one or two things about history. 

The fact is most people will pay a high price for a coin with an eye-catching design. Even collectors value design- they collect an example of every particular design available to add to their collection. Furthermore, limited-edition coins are usually identified by their exquisite designs. In other words, design attracts value.

Demand

The rarity of a coin means a lot to most collectors but, some rare gold coins hold more popularity and fame than others. The more famous a coin is the more wanted it comes and that’s where the rule of demand comes in. Many of the world’s most valuable coins all have a history of being wanted by millions of collectors. As a result, the price and value skyrocket.

There have been incidents where a certain rare gold coin sells for more than twice its first auction price. For instance, the 1822 capped bust gold left the hands of the Progue Family Collection at just $685, 500 in 1982, and now it’s estimated to be worth around $10 million. 

Age

Gold coins that have seen many decades and millennia attract more value because first off, you are not likely to just find them in circulation, you can’t purchase them straight from the mint and to top it off, they’re rare. 

There is a limited number of gold coins that exist in good condition. The older the coin gets, the more damaged and worn out it’ll look, so even if you come across a very old coin, it might not be in good condition to collect. 

While good collectors love collecting antique coins, not all are pretty valuable. What determines the value of an old coin is both the age and everything associated with it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Gold Coins

Circulated and Uncirculated coins – What is the difference?

Circulated coins have entered the chain of circulation in the regular money supply today, while Uncirculated coins are coins that have not entered into circulation. Collectors mainly desire uncirculated coins as most are rare coins.

How do you maintain gold coins?

Gold coins are pretty much impeccable and can face adverse situations, but they can still get worn out without extra care. The best way to store and maintain them is to keep them in a cold and dry place because extreme heat and moisture can tamper with their quality.

Can I sell my gold coins to the bank?

The downside is most banks don’t accept gold because of the risk of collecting counterfeit gold coins. When the price of gold rose rapidly in the last decade, so many impure gold bars and coins with embedded tungsten went into circulation. Due to this turnout, banks avoided bearing buying risks.