If you’ve got some old coins lying around, now might be the right time to check them. Some coins with rare minting mistakes are worth a fortune. In fact, one coin from the year 2000 with a special kind of error, known as a “mule,” once sold for over $88,000. The catch? It must have the exact error and be in excellent condition.
Why Are Some Coins Worth So Much?
Coins that have unusual features or mistakes made during production are called error coins. These errors can make a coin unique and very valuable. The more rare and unusual the error, the more money collectors are willing to pay. Coins like pennies, nickels, quarters, and dollars with historic value or mistakes have sold for hundreds of thousands—even millions—of dollars.
The U.S. Mint first started making coins in 1793 in Philadelphia and now operates in five other places: Denver, San Francisco, Fort Knox, West Point, and Washington DC.
There are two main types of coin finishes: business strikes, which are made for daily use, and proof coins, which are shinier and made especially for collectors.
The 2000 Sacagawea Dollar with a Twist
In the summer of 1999, at the Philadelphia Mint, a small batch of special coins was made for testing. Just 39 coins were created, and only 12 of them are now known to be stored safely in Fort Knox.
Here’s the twist—this coin was supposed to be a one-dollar Sacagawea coin, but it ended up with the wrong design on one side. That mistake is called a mule error. It’s when the front (heads) and back (tails) sides of a coin don’t match.
What the Mule Error Looks Like
On this special 2000 coin, the back of the coin (tails side) looks like a normal golden Sacagawea dollar with an eagle and “ONE DOLLAR” written at the bottom. But the front (heads side) shows President George Washington, which is usually found on a quarter, not a dollar. There’s also a small “P” stamp, showing it was made at the Philadelphia Mint.
This mix-up happened because the metal blanks for the Sacagawea dollar and the quarter got swapped during production.
It Sold for Over $88,000
Because of this rare mule error and the fact that only a few of these coins were ever made, one of them sold at a Heritage Auctions event in 2013 for $88,125.
Its high value also came from its excellent condition. The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) gave it a Mint State grade of 66 out of 70, meaning it had barely any scratches and was nearly perfect.
Other Rare Coins That Could Make You Rich
This isn’t the only coin with a mule error. There are also Lincoln pennies with a Roosevelt dime design on the back—those have sold for thousands.
Some other valuable coins include:
- A Lincoln penny with three special letters on the back worth $94,000
- A Liberty nickel that fetched $4.5 million thanks to its shiny surface and rarity
If you’re someone who keeps old coins or checks change often, you could be sitting on a small fortune. The 2000-P Sacagawea dollar with a mule error is one of the rarest and most valuable coins out there, and only a few are known to exist. Even other coins with strange designs or rare markings can be worth thousands. It’s always a good idea to get your coins checked by a professional grading service. Who knows—you might just strike gold without even knowing it!
