Money has long become an integral part of human civilization. Now you will not surprise anyone with virtual currency and paper notes, however, the question of which coins are the most expensive in the world is of constant interest. Many of them are rare, a real work of art, and some were made under very unusual circumstances.
Whether you collect coins as a hobby or just study the history behind their creation, we hope that this list of expensive coins will attract your attention.
We did not include in our top 10 coins, which were made only as a marketing ploy, and will never be sold. These rarities include the Australian coin 1 Tonne Gold Kangaroo Coin, with a face value of one million Australian dollars and weighing 1012 kg. After a promotional tour of Europe, the coin is on permanent display at the Australian Gold Mint.
10. Silver dollar, 1804
Sale Price: $ 3.7 million
Although the coin is dated 1804, not a single copy was minted this year. In 1834, several diplomatic gift sets were issued by order of the American government. They included running coins of the time. But silver dollars dated 1804 were not found, because 1803 stamps were used to create them. I had to urgently correct this oversight.
Seventh US President Andrew Jackson handed sets to heads of several Asian states, including the King of Siam, and the emperors of China and Japan.
9. Head of Liberty, 1913
Sale Price: $ 3.7 million
Due to the low face value (5 cents) and the small circulation, the “Head of Freedom” has not been preserved in its best form. If a perfect copy were found, its price could be $ 20 million. But so far this is not the most expensive coin in the world. Its price not only did not increase, but also decreased over time. The original owner paid over $ 3.7 million for it, and in January 2014 it was sold for only 3,290 million. For comparison: the price of the most expensive coin in modern Russia is 300 thousand rubles, or about 5 thousand dollars.
In the 1970s, the television series "Hawaii 5.0" was released, in which the "Head of Freedom" was shown, but it did not help to increase the value of the coin. Its original was used for large-scale filming, and an ordinary nickel coin was used for frames in which it was impossible to distinguish a date in order to reduce the risk of damage to an expensive thing.
8. Pound of South Africa, 1898
Sale Price: 4 million dollars
South Africa's rarest gold coin, the “Single 9” of 1898, was minted in 1899, when the Boer War was waging. The country was not able to make a stamp for minting, and decided to send the old stamp for remaking to Germany. However, he was in the hands of the British.
Not bewildered, the South African treasury employees printed the number 9 on a coin. However, this copy was unique, and the subsequent date 1899 was correct.
7. “Queen Elizabeth II”, 2007
Sale Price: 4 million dollars
The size of a coffee table, this Canadian 2007 gold coin weighs 100 kilograms and has a face value of $ 1 million (£ 607,000). It was bought by a consortium of international buyers.
6. Doubloon Brasher with the initials "EB" on the wing, 1787
Sale Price: $ 4.5 million
This beautiful coin was made in New York by a jeweler and silver case master Ephraim Brasher. It was never intended for mass circulation, but it is quite suitable to become an ornament of the collection of a rich numismatist.
By weight (26.66 g.), The Bracher doubloon was very close to the Spanish gold doubloons. He was estimated at $ 15.
The initials of the creator of the coin are engraved on the wing of the eagle.
5. Golden dinar, 723
Sale Price: $ 6 million
The issue of this gold coin, presumably, coincides with the pilgrimage of the ruler of the Umayyad Caliphate to Mecca. This is one of the first artifacts that explicitly refers to the country now known as Saudi Arabia. The coin has an inscription stating that the dinar is made of gold from the mine of the caliph himself.
4. Florin of Edward III, 1343
Sale Price: 6.8 million dollars
One of the oldest and rarest coins on our list. Known as the “double leopard,” the florin of about six shillings was circulated in medieval England from December 1343 until July 1344.
The obverse of the coin depicts a king sitting on a throne under a canopy, with two leopards on each side, and on the back there is a royal cross and leopards. However, the minting of the coin was very quickly stopped, and only three copies have survived to this day.
3. Brasher doubloon with the initials “EB” on the chest, 1787
Sale Price: $ 7.3 million
This gold coin was not sold at public auction, the owners - Blanchard and Company - passed it into the hands of a private collector.
Unlike the doubloon sold for $ 4.5 million, in this version the jeweler's initials are engraved on the eagle's chest.
2. Double Eagle, 1933
Sale Price: 7, 5 million dollars
A double eagle gold coin originally cost $ 20. She could become one of the most beautiful banknotes in the world. However, in 1933, the United States was gripped by a financial crisis. And President Theodore Roosevelt ordered the abolition of the so-called "gold standard" and the recall and re-melting of all the Golden Double Eagles.
Somehow, a handful of banknotes survived, although it was banned. At present, Eagles cannot be owned by a private individual and, if discovered, will be confiscated by the United States Government. Except for one Golden Eagle, which originally belonged to the Egyptian King Farouk.
The sold copy of the coin belonged to the British Stephen Fenton. After a long legal battle, the US Mint and Fenton agreed to sell the coin and split the proceeds.
The buyer had to pay an additional $ 20 to the mint in order to legalize his coin.
1. Freedom “Loose Hair”, 1794
Sale Price: $ 10 million
The coin went down in history as the first silver dollar created by the US government. The venerable age and the enormous rarity of the coin make it a welcome acquisition for any sufficiently wealthy collector.
On one side of the dollar is Lady Liberty with flowing hair, on the other side is a bald eagle framed by a beautiful wreath. To the left of the head of Freedom there are 8 stars, to the right - 7 stars. This is a symbol of the 15 states that were part of the United States at the time the dollar was put into circulation.
Each coin included in the rating of the most expensive coins has an outstanding history and is closely connected with the past of different cultures. And all these coins, from medieval English to early American, are truly priceless, if not financially, then historically.
