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If you're looking for ways to make extra cash and help pay your bills, without taking on a side hustle, selling old coins to collectors could net you some serious dough. If you have some old dollar coins lying around, or buried in an old change jar, you might be surprised at how much collectors are willing to shell out for something that is, technically, only worth a dollar.
These 11 dollar coins are worth way more than their face value, due to history, rarity, or misprints, and some have even sold for well over $1 million at auction.
1. 1794-P flowing hair silver dollar
The 1974 silver dollar, which features Lady Liberty on one side and an eagle on the other, is known to sell for thousands; the record sale price for one coin is a whopping $2.8 million, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
Minted in Philadelphia, it's extremely rare to find one in good condition, hence the high auction prices.
2. 1804-P draped bust silver dollar
Finding a 1804 draped bust silver dollar is unlikely as well, which is why the auction record for this rare coin is upwards of $7.8 million.
The coins, struck in Philadelphia, feature Lady Liberty on the front and an eagle on the back and interestingly, despite the 1804 year printed on the coin, PCGS reports that these coins weren't actually made until 1834 (or later).
3. 1836-P Gobrecht dollar
The auction record for the 1836 silver dollar designed by coin engraver Christian Gobrecht is a whopping $99,000. The coin features a seated Lady Liberty on the front and a soaring eagle on the reverse. The coins were produced in small quantities, hence the big paydays.
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4. 1870-S seated liberty dollar
According to PCGS, the 1870 seated liberty dollar is one of the rarest and most sought-after dollar coins — the auction record is over $1 million.
The coin, featuring a seated Lady Liberty, was minted in San Francisco and PCGS reports that there are only about a dozen known to exist to this day.
5. 1873-CC trade dollar
"Trade dollars" minted in 1873 are unusual for a few reasons, including the fact that they were minted in Carson City. The auction record for one of these coins is over $80,000.
CC-minted silver dollars graded in good condition are naturally worth more, but PCGS reports that these coins in any decent shape should be considered valuable as well.
6. 1893-S Morgan silver dollar
The 1893 silver dollar minted in San Francisco, designed by George T. Morgan, sold for a record $735,000 at auction in 2018, PCGS reports.
Experts predict that only a few thousand of these coins, with Lady Liberty's profile on one side and an eagle on the other, exist to this day — and high-grade conditions will net bigger payouts.
7. 1903-O Morgan silver dollar
A 1903 Morgan silver dollar sold at auction for a record $36,000 in 2023.
The coins, which were minted in New Orleans, were once considered incredibly rare and highly sought after. However, in the 1960s, thousands of coins were found in a vault, making these silver dollars much more common (and easier to track down today).
8. 1928-P Peace Dollar
The 1928 Peace Dollar coin has the lowest mintage of any other in the Peace Dollar series, meaning few were produced, and the rare coin's auction record is more than $129,000.
The dollar features Lady Liberty's profile on one side and a perched eagle on the other. The low mintage means these coins in good condition can sell for thousands.
9. 1971-P Eisenhower dollar
The 1971 dollar honoring President Dwight D. Eisenhower is popular with collectors, and the auction record was hit in 2014, when a coin sold for more than $10,000.
The record-breaking sale was for a coin with a high MS66 grade, with PCGS reporting that only about 50 Eisenhower coins from 1971 exist in this grade.
10. 2000-P Sacagawea dollar "Cheerios" variety
The 2000 Sacagawea dollar is one that you really may have lying around in your old change jar, and it might be worth up to $33,000, according to PCGS's reporting on auction records.
These coins were distributed through General Mills cereal boxes, with 5,500 coins placed in random boxes. Some of those coins, placed in Cheerios boxes, have a unique feature on their reverse — small details in a flying eagle's tail feathers — that make them especially valuable.
11. 2007-D George Washington presidential dollar
The George Washington dollar coin was the first released as part of a Presidential Dollar program in 2007. The auction record for a Denver-minted coin was $1,575 in 2018.
The coin features Washington's profile on the front and the Statue of Liberty on the reverse.
Bottom line
Beyond the very rare coins listed here, many minted dollar coins are worth significantly more than their face value on the resale market. While it is rare to find very high-value coins from before the 20th century, it's still very possible to earn extra money with more common and recently minted coins (though those million-dollar pay days are much less likely).
