9 Incredible Underdog Stories in Coin Collecting history: There are a lot of stories about amazing discoveries and accomplishments in the world of coin collecting.
9 Incredible Underdog Stories in Coin Collecting history
Here are nine amazing underdog stories that show how exciting and rewarding numismatics can be.
1. The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel
The 1913 Liberty Head nickel is the subject of one of the most famous underdog stories. At first, only five of these coins were made at the Philadelphia Mint under strange circumstances.
Samuel W. Brown, who used to work at the mint, told people about them in 1920. One coin that was sold for $3.7 million shows how a coin that seems ordinary can become a valuable piece of numismatics.
2. The Rediscovery of the 1933 Double Eagle
Coin collectors tell stories about the 1933 Double Eagle. During the Great Depression, all but a few were told to be melted down.
Some, though, got away from the melt, and one of them came to the surface in 1996. In 2002, it was made public and sold for $7.6 million, making it one of the most valuable coins ever.
3. The 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln Cent
In 1955, a mistake during the minting process led to a batch of pennies that had an image that was twice as big.
At first, these coins were thought to be flawed, but later collectors became very interested in them. A 1955 Doubled Die Lincoln cent that is in good shape can fetch several thousand dollars today.
4. The 1974 Aluminum Penny
The U.S. Mint tried out aluminum pennies in 1974 in order to cut down on the cost of minting coins. But none of them were officially released, and the plan was shelved.
Still, some examples got out to the public. A former U.S. Capitol police officer found one of these pennies, and it was sold at auction in 2014 for $250,000.
5. The 1943 Copper Penny
In order to save copper for the war effort during World War II, the U.S. Mint made pennies out of steel.
But some copper blanks were used by accident, which is how the 1943 copper penny came to be. One of these coins sold at auction in 2010 for more than $1 million, showing how rare they are.
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6. The Saddle Ridge Hoard
Two people from California found 1,427 gold coins buried in their backyard in 2013. The coins were worth more than $10 million and were known as the Saddle Ridge Hoard.
In U.S. history, this is one of the most important and valuable finds of buried treasure.
7. The 2000 Sacagawea Dollar Mule
In 2000, there was a mistake at the mint that caused some Sacagawea dollars to be made with the front of a Washington quarter.
One of these “mule” coins, which combine designs from two different coins, sold for $155,250 in 2012. They are very rare and very valuable.
8. The Rare 1970-S Small Date Lincoln Cent
The short date in the 1970s The Lincoln cent is another coin that became famous because of a small change in its design.
At first, these pennies were not given much thought, but once their rarity was known, they became valuable to collectors. When they are brand new, they can fetch up to $2,000.
9. The 1982 No P Mint Mark Dime
In 1982, the Philadelphia Mint left off the “P” mint mark on a batch of dimes by accident. Because this mistake wasn’t caught right away, these dimes are now very rare and valuable collectibles.
Depending on how good they are, the “no P” dimes can fetch hundreds of dollars.
Conclusion
These stories about underdogs in the world of coin collecting show that the best finds are sometimes found in the strangest places.
These coins, which may have been made by mistake or were lost, remind us of all the fun and possibilities that collecting coins can bring.