COIN collectors are willing to shell out thousands for a silver dollar from the 1800s.
The unique coin is dated 1891 but was really minted in 1893, adding to its value.
It comes from the Kingdom of Hawaii, which was sovereign from 1810 to 1893 and ruled by kings and queens.
Queen Liliuokalani took the throne in 1891 after the death of her brother.
Unfortunately, a coup in January 1893 by a group of American businessmen and bankers robbed her of her position.
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That same year, British coin collector Reginald Huth ordered silver dollars with Queen Liliuokalani on them to commemorate her reign.
The design was not used on actual currency, and they were not meant to enter circulation as coins.
The obverse, or head’s side, features a bust of Queen Liliuokalani with a Latin inscription around her reading “Liluokalani Dei Graita.”
The reverse shows the Hawaiian islands and has two stars that hide the actual mint date of 1893.
A London-based company produced only 50 coins specifically for Huth’s private collection, though he did gift some to friends.
After his death, Sotheby’s auctioned Huth’s entire collection in 1927.
The Hawaiian silver dollars seldom appear at auction, but one just sold for $78,000 from Heritage Auctions in January.
SILVER LINING
Another valuable silver coin is a simple quarter from 1871 .
However, it looks very different than the Washington quarters we’re used to seeing today.
The obverse features Lady Liberty holding a shield and a flag, and the reverse has an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch.
Under the eagle are the words “Quar. Dol.” and a CC mint mark for the short-lived Carson City mint in Nevada.
Only 10,980 of these nickels were minted, making them hard to come by.
Rare coins
You may be holding something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles on rare coins to see if you may have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
- Rare Lincoln penny sells for $201
- This buffalo nickel sold for $1,165
- 1971 Eisenhower silver coin sells for $264,000
- Lincoln double die obverse penny sells for $2,000
- Half cent sells for $3,383
- Rare nickel sells for $1,956 on eBay
- 1889 CC Morgan Silver dollar coin sells for $1,850
- Lincoln 1992 penny can be worth up to $25,000
- Standing Liberty quarter sells for $565
- Lincoln coin minted in 2020 sells for $525
No more than 45 to 60 of these quarters are estimated to survive today.
Because they were released into circulation, most have heavy wear on them.
Only three were ever certified in Mint State, with the most valuable one selling for $456,000 in 2022.
Collectors are also on the hunt for a popular penny that sold for $20,000 at auction.
