At face value, your regular quarter is pretty worthless, used for little more than vending machines and laundromats. But, due to various reasons, one particular type of quarter is valued at millions.
With anything that is printed in the millions, or even billions, there are bound to be a few slip-ups. With things like coins, postage stamps, and even collectible cards, this makes them infinitely more valuable. For any keen-eyed collector, these mistakes are the holy grail of a collection.
The bicentennial quarter was produced to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the United States of America. Around 1.6 billion were produced to put into circulation. Chances are, you’ve had a few in the past. They’re nice, but not uncommon. However, there is a particular minting error and minting process that has created one particular quarter worth millions.
The double die error in minting means a coin has a face pressed twice. Usually, a mint will spot this error and recycle the coins to be made properly. But, a few will sometimes slip through the watchful eyes of the penny men. Finding a double die error on a quarter will always raise its value to a collector.
Another highly coveted error in the quarter-making process is the composition of the metal. Typically, they are made of a copper-nickel composite. This has them all weighing at a uniform 5.7 grams. However, a mistake in the smelting process at the San Francisco Mint produced a whole bunch with 40% silver. This raised their weight and value significantly.
Now, if you combine these two anomalies into one quarter, you’ll have one worth millions.
A Fortune In A Change Jar
One lucky man, after seeing the news about the super rare quarter, decided to have a dig through his change jar. Nestled in there was a binentennial coin valued at millions. Initially, he knew it was special, but after having it valued and regarded as the highest quality, he couldn’t believe his luck. It was estimated to be worth $11 million.
The man preferred to stay anonymous, but it’s safe to say they auctioned it off. I imagine they are living comfortably off their lucky strike. It’s worth checking your change collection for any anomalies.