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You don’t need to be a coin collector to know that some nickels, dimes, quarters, half dollars and similar coins are worth serious cash – far more than their face value. The rarer a coin is, the more valuable it often becomes. If kept for a long time, these coins can become even more valuable than before.
If you have some old or rare looking coins, you may want to have them appraised. But only do this if you are absolutely sure they are worth something, as professional appraisals usually cost money. Before spending your money, or throwing that random old nickel into a wishing well, do a quick online search to see if it might be worth good money.
With that in mind, here are five rare coins to keep in 2026.
1913 Liberty Head nickel
A very few Liberty Head nickels were made in 1913, but almost none currently exist. Two of them are kept in private collections, so you are unlikely to see one of them. The Eliasberg specimen has the highest PCGS grade (PR66) and was sold in 1996 for $1,480,000. It was put up for auction again in March 2001 for approximately $1,840,000. Then in 2005, it was sold to Legend Numismatics for $4,150,000. It was sold again in 2007 for $5 million.
Although you may not have this specific coin, you may have similar coins that are worth five cents more than you expect.
1794 floating hair dollar
This coin, minted sometime between 1794 and 1795, has the same size and weight as the Spanish dollar. On the front is a statue of Lady Liberty, while on the reverse is an eagle crowned with a wreath. It was designed by Robert Scott, but was eventually replaced by the Draped Bust dollar.
According to PCGS, this is a very rare coin with a value of only $150 to $200 today. A 1794 Flowing Hair dollar sold for $6.6 million, but many coins titled 1794 MS sold at auction for several thousand to $100,000.
1940 mercury dime
Some rare, valuable coins from the 1940s still exist today. The 1940 Mercury dime was part of the 1916 to 1945 series. About 21.5 million were minted.
These dimes were designed by Adolph Alexander Weinman and have sold for up to $8,519 at auction. This coin is not as valuable as some of the other coins on this list, but it is still a good amount of money, especially for a random coin that you may have inherited.
The obverse depicts a young Liberty wearing a feathered hat. An olive branch is visible around one of the faces at the back.
Saint-Gaudens Double Eagle
This coin had an original value of $20 and was minted between 1907 and 1933. Named by its designer, sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens, it features Lady Liberty holding a torch and an olive branch, with the bright sun in the background. The United States Capitol with 46 stars is also visible. Behind is an eagle facing the sun. Some of the coins minted did not have “In God We Trust” written on them.
The 1907 version of this coin, graded 68, has an estimated value of $300,000. The auction record for the MS67 grade was $276,000.
1909-S Indian Head Penny
With just over 300,000 ever minted, this penny is another rare coin worth holding onto. It was designed by James Barton Longacre and has received the NGC Genuine grade. At auction, it sold for $3,400 in 2021. Some of these coins are worth more depending on the grade.
The obverse of this penny depicts Lady Liberty wearing a headdress. On the reverse is a laurel wreath surrounding the words “One Cent”. These coins were part of the Indian Cent series that ran from 1859 to 1909.