Coin collectors appreciate the feeling that comes both in the pursuit and the acquisition of these little rarities which, at times, can be extremely rewarding depending on its features. If you have the 2006 John Adams dollar coin, which was last in circulation in 2007, its collectible value off the shelf could be far higher than just a Dollar bill daubed with the head of John Adams. Actually, these coins can reach up to $2000 value at the auction, owing to a single mistake. Let’s dive into the exact reason this coin is worth so much, and how to find such valuable coins and differentiate them from others.
What is the John Adams one dollar Coin?
The John Adams dollar coin is part of the U.S. Mint’s Presidential $1 Coin Program, which honors former U.S. presidents. This particular coin was released in 2007 to commemorate the second president of the United States, John Adams. While most of these coins are only worth their face value of one dollar, some of them contain errors that make them highly sought after by collectors.
The error that increases the value of the Coin
What makes this specific coin valuable is a mistake that occurred during the minting process. The error involves the edge lettering of the coin. Normally, the edge of the coin includes inscriptions like the year it was minted (2007), the phrase “E Pluribus Unum,” “In God We Trust,” and the mint mark. However, in some John Adams dollar coins, these inscriptions were either doubled or missing entirely, resulting in what collectors call “double edge lettering” or “missing edge lettering.”
This error is extremely rare, and when collectors spot it, the value of the coin can skyrocket. Some coins with this mistake have sold for over $2,000 at auctions, up to 2,000 times their original value.
How to identify a rare John Adams dollar Coin
If you think you might have one of these valuable coins, here is how to identify it:
- Double edge lettering: Some coins were struck twice by the engraving machine, causing the lettering on the edge to appear twice, either overlapping or in opposite directions. This is referred to as “overlapped” or “inverted” lettering.
Overlapped letters are when the second set of letters appears directly above or slightly offset from the first.
Inverted letters occur when one set of the lettering appears upside down in relation to the first.
- Missing edge lettering: In other cases, the coin never passed through the engraving machine, meaning the edge has no inscriptions at all. This error is also highly prized by collectors.
Why do Coin collectors pay so much for these errors?
Coins with minting errors are considered rare because they are usually caught and removed before they go into circulation. When a few manage to escape, they become highly sought after by numismatists (coin collectors). The John Adams dollar with a double edge or missing edge error is especially valuable because these types of mistakes do not happen often. The coin’s uniqueness drives up its value in auctions, where collectors are willing to pay large sums to own one.
The value of a John Adams dollar Coin
The value of your coin can vary based on the type and severity of the error. Some examples of what these coins have sold for include:
- A triple-error coin, which featured both double minting and missing edge lettering, sold for $1,380 at an auction in 2009.
- Another coin with overlapped edge lettering sold for $288.
- More recently, in 2024, a coin with multiple errors, including missing letters and a 60% offset, sold for an impressive $2,040.
These sales show the incredible demand for coins with these specific types of errors and how much they can be worth.
Are there other Coins with similar errors?
Yes, similar minting errors have been found in other coins from the Presidential $1 Coin Program, including coins featuring George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. However, the John Adams dollar is particularly valuable due to the number of coins found with errors and the collector interest around this specific coin.
Where can you sell a rare Coin?
If you have a John Adams dollar coin featuring one of those rare mistakes, the wisest course of action would be to get in touch with a coin grading service like the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC) for better appraisal. After it has been graded, the coin can be put up for sale at auction firms, including Heritage Auctions, or on eBay, where many enthusiasts of such extraordinary coins hunt for them.
