6 Fascinating Stories Behind the World's Most Valuable Coins

Six incredible tales involving some of the most expensive coins in the world. One for each of these unique coins and the historical process that led to their current high value.

1. Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle, 1933

The 1933 Double Eagle was never used and was conceived during the worst of the Great Depression in America.

When President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed an order prohibiting private gold ownership, nearly all of these coins were melted down. Few coins survived the melting pots. By law, today only one of these pieces can be owned. In 2002 this piece sold for a great deal of money. The coin represents a very trying time in the history of the United States.

2. The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar

Believed by many to be one of the first silver dollars ever minted, this coin is often considered to be the very first dollar made by the U.S.

Just a mere 1,750 were made, and far fewer than that remain today. A very good example of a Flowing Hair dollar sold for more than $10 million in 2013.

Many people think it may be the very first dollar ever made in the U.S., which would be a major event in the history of American numismatics.

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3. The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel

The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel is a mysterious and interesting coin. In 1912, the U.S. Mint stopped making nickels with the Liberty Head design, but five nickels from 1913 were made without permission.

Years later, they appeared again, after having passed through rich collectors and auction houses with their histories. Today, we know only five of these coins. They are some of the world’s most unique and expensive.

4. The Brasher Doubloon (1787)

The Brasher Doubloon was struck in 1787 by a New York goldsmith named Ephraim Brasher before the United States had a standard currency.
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The coin was in solid gold, and on it was Brasher’s famous eagle image. It represented the hopes of early America.

Such are the handful of Brasher Doubloons, telling a tale of how this new country tried its best to become economically stable and independent.

5. Edward III Florin (1343)

The Edward III Florin is known as the “Double Leopard” and is one of the oldest coins still worth a lot of money. The Edward III coin was created in the period when King Edward III ruled and was designed to be the standard gold coin for England.

But it was soon rejected since it was worthless. This ancient coin is one of only three to be known of. Two were discovered in the river in the 1800s, providing a rare view into medieval trading.

6. “The 2007 C$1 Million Gold Maple Leaf

The Canada Maple Leaf is the world’s largest legal tender gold coin. It was made to be a showpiece. This huge coin is made of pure gold and has a face value of C$1 million. It weighs 100 kilos.

Only six were made, and in a strange twist of fate, one was stolen from a Berlin museum in 2017, making it even more famous among collectors.
Not only are these coins important, but they are also pieces of history. Each coin shows the events and hopes of the time it was made. They are valuable, and the stories they hold are very interesting to collectors.