Numismatics is one of the favorite hobbies of many residents of not only Russia but also European countries. However, for some, collecting small coins from the past becomes a form of earnings. How much are old coins? This question haunts many novice collectors. There can be no definite answer here, since it all depends on the state of the money, its face value and other factors.
Rating of the most expensive coins in the world
“How much are old coins?” You ask. Some are thousands, while others are a fortune that can be valued at millions of dollars. Getting rich with just one coin in your pocket is simple, the main thing is to become the owner of one of the rarest and most expensive in the list we offer.
- 1933 American Double Eagle Coin. This sign is made of pure gold, its face value is $ 20. However, this coin was purchased for $ 7.9 million. What is so valuable in this instance? And this is due to the fact that in the 30s in the USA they stopped issuing coins from gold, all “double eagles” were put into re-melting. But by some miracle, 10 coins were stolen from the Ministry of Finance. The secret services managed to find 9 copies, and sold one in London for the unrealistic amount indicated above.
- The second place in the ranking is occupied by the Loose Hair coin. The dollar banknote is made of silver in 1794. This series is recognized by collectors as the rarest and most valuable, therefore, the cost of the last coin sold was no less than 7,850,000 dollars. According to other sources, this coin was sold for $ 10 million.
- Well, the bronze medal in the list of “Most Valuable Gold Coins” is occupied by the banknote of 1343. Its nominal value does not exceed 6 shillings, but at auctions it was sold for $ 6.8 million. This Edward III coin (or Double Leopard) is made of pure gold and is one of the oldest in the world.
Valuable coins of Portugal
Ancient Portuguese coins are quite appreciated by numismatists, but not all. One of the most expensive today is a silver coin for 1000 escudos from 1999, which is in very good condition VF. For this banknote, they can offer a price of $ 20 (in the absence of scuffs, and if the drawing is clearly visible).
No less valuable are the old Portuguese coins from 1913 with a face value of 50 centavos. For this silver banknote, collectors are ready to pay about 1,400 rubles apiece. The weight of the coin exceeds 12 grams. It belongs to the category XF. If a numismatist can get a similar money in a collection, he will be unrealistically happy. Usually they are found by archaeologists during excavations on sandy soils. The cost of such specimens at auctions often breaks all conceivable records.
One of the most popular today are such ancient coins (Portuguese) as 5 escudos from 1990 and a silver rupee of 1935. For the first coin that was in circulation, numismatists are ready to pay about $ 100, despite the category (IV, F). Silver rupee will cost collectors a smaller amount - about $ 50.
Well, perhaps the most valuable lot in the ranking of “The Most Expensive Portuguese Ancient Coins” is 6400 flights. The banknote is made of pure gold, its weight reaches 14.34 grams. The coin depicts Joan 6. For coins in excellent condition (category II +) numismatists offer amounts equal to 95-96 thousand rubles.
Valuable Soviet coins
In the USSR, coin minting was not established in the 20th century; therefore, many banknotes are of great value to collectors. In addition, due to the instability of the political system, monetary units, if issued, are in limited quantities. Only rare specimens have survived to this day, which every numismatist wants to get.
To date, the most expensive ancient coins of the USSR are 50 kopecks in 1929, issued in a trial run, as well as 20 kopecks in 1934. According to the data, fifty kopecks was preserved only in a private collection, so its cost is at least 10 million rubles. A 20-kopeck banknote at auctions can be purchased for 100 thousand rubles. The value of this coin is due to the fact that there are only 15 copies left, one of which is located in the Hermitage.
Is Cruzado currency appreciated or not?
Today, many speculators make money by issuing paper currency in Brazil for dollars. Cruzado acts as a “double” - a currency that looks very similar to American banknotes. In addition, often these bills are trying to sell to novice collectors. The true cost of cruzado will not exceed 50 rubles.
How to determine the value of old coins?
Each owner of an ancient coin wants to know the true value of his find. There are several ways to do this:
- Take a look at the Internet. It is the Network that is visited by people who are faced with insoluble issues. However, in our case, this method is not true. Unfortunately, most articles and ads are posted by speculators who want to cash in on people unaware of numismatics.
- Use the reference book on numismatics. This method is most likely suitable only for owners of coins of the USSR, RF or RSFSR. Finding such books on foreign coins in the public domain is almost impossible.
- View information on completed auctions. As practice shows, the information posted on such sites is most relevant. The error in the cost will not exceed 10%. The price should be compared at 4-5 auctions and come to an average value.
In conclusion, let’s remind you once again: you shouldn’t take the word for everything you see on the Internet, because finding a really valuable coin is almost impossible today, since the most expensive copies have long gone to private collections.