The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar

The 1794 Flowing Hair Silver Dollar may sit atop the rankings of the most expensive coin ever sold, at least for now. Some experts believe that it was the first silver dollar struck by the U.S. Mint. The front features a profile of Lady Liberty with flowing hair, while the reverse shows an American eagle. Fewer than 1,800 of these coins were ever produced, and one expert puts the number of remaining coins at between 120 and 130, so it’s quite rare.

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The coin sold at auction for $12 million in 2022.

The 1787 Brasher Doubloon

The Brasher Doubloon was made by Ephraim Brasher, a New York City goldsmith and silversmith, in the late 18th Century. The front of the coin shows a state seal with a rising sun, while the reverse shows the American eagle with a shield. The coin is already rare, but certain versions of it have fetched a variety of prices, depending on their specific characteristics.

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A 2011 sale saw a version of the doubloon with Brasher’s signature EB on the breast go for nearly $7.4 million. A 2018 private sale of another doubloon with the signature EB on the bird’s wing went for more than $5 million, according to Coin World.  Another Brasher doubloon sold for a record $9.36 million in January 2021.

 The 1787 Fugio cent

The Fugio cent hasn’t set the kind of astronomical records as the first two coins on this list, but it can still be a pricey collectible, and it has an interesting history to it. The Fugio cent, also known as the Franklin cent, after founding father Benjamin Franklin, may have been the first coin circulated in the newly formed United States.

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In line with Franklin’s humor, the coin shows a sun and sundial with the Latin motto “fugio,” suggesting the sun and time are flying. At the bottom, the coin says “mind your business,” an invocation for the bearer to literally pay attention to their business affairs. The reverse of the coin has the motto “We are one” with 13 links in a chain to symbolize America’s first 13 states.

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Zivi suggests you could buy a Fugio cent for a few hundred dollars, making it relatively accessible for a coin with such an interesting history. Coins in better condition may go for a few thousand dollars and perhaps as high as $10,000, while extremely rare variants may sell for tens of thousands.