$12 million silver dollar: California dealer buys rare coin minted in 1794
A rare coin from 1794 was purchased by a California coin and auction business for $12 million.
The silver dollar is believed to be the first of its kind to be minted in the United States, according to a Jan. 27 news release from GreatCollections Coin Auctions, the business that bought the coin.
Originally 1,758 silver dollars were minted. Now there are only 140 coins left from that mintage, the news release states.
“Without question, this is America’s most coveted Silver Dollar, and it gave me chills closing the transaction for this piece of history. This absolutely defines ‘museum-quality,’ “ GreatCollections president Ian Russell said in the release.
Before GreatCollections purchased the coin, it was owned by Bruce Morelan. The collector sold three coins to the coin business last year for $13.35 million, including a 1913 Liberty Head nickel.
The world’s most valuable coin — a 1933 Saint-Gaudens “Double Eagle” $20 gold coin — sold for $18.9 million in 2021.
GreatCollections in Irvine, California, was founded in 2010, and it sells and auctions certified coins.
