6 Coins From the 1970s That Are Worth a Lot of Money

Collectors in search of valuable coins don’t have to reach back a century or more to find them — they can just pop back a few decades to the era of disco music and leisure suits.

Coin collectors don’t have to go back a century or more to find valuable coins — they can just pop back a few decades to the era of disco music and leisure suits. Several U.S. coins from the 1970s can fetch you a lot of money on the collector’s market, with the priciest ones valued in five figures.

As with many collectible coins, the most valuable ones from the 1970s have some kind of error or distinctive feature that sets them apart from the crowd. Those with the highest values tend to have the lowest denominations — pennies and nickels.

Here are six coins from the 1970s that are worth a lot of money, according to the LoveToKnow website. Values are based on auction sales from previous years and might be even higher on the 2024 market. Keep in mind that a coin’s condition will also help determine its value.

1971-S Doubled Die Obverse Penny: $10,350

Double die mistakes happen when the metal gets struck multiple times by the die (or design stamp) on either the front (obverse), reverse, or both sides. The result is a “sharper relief and sometimes a wonky positioning,” according to LoveToKnow. Double die mistakes in mint or near-mint condition, like this one, usually sell for very high amounts.

1974-S Reverse Brockage of 1973-S Penny: $11,400

A high-grade specimen of this Lincoln penny sold for $11,400 through Heritage Auctions in 2020. “Brockage” coins are prized by collectors because they have the normal design on one side and the mirror image on the other. For example, this 1974-S penny features the standard printed Lincoln portrait on the front and the backwards 1973 Lincoln design on the reverse. A brockage is a rare deformity that happens when the die gets stuck.

1979 Susan B. Anthony Dollar Over 1978 Jefferson Nickel: $15,275

This coin features a minting mistake with the image of Susan B. Anthony stamped over the top of Monticello on a Jefferson nickel. Overstamps like this are extremely rare to begin with, but this one stands out because it involves two separate years.

1971-S Deep Cameo Proof Penny: $17,250

A “proof” coin is one that is not intended for circulation as currency, but rather to serve as a model for the future coins. LoveToKnow described proof coins as “the most beautiful and perfectly minted coins possible,” and refers to this specific Lincoln penny as a “superb proof.”

1970-S Small Date Penny: $18,400

According to a blog on the Dave’s Collectible Coins site, this rare 1970-S small-date penny is characterized by “a more delicate date of a finer punch as compared to the large date variety.” The large-date coin will show a 7 that is “relatively level” with the rest of the date, whereas the small-date version is not nearly as level.

1970-S Large Date Penny: $24,150

Here’s an example of a large-date Lincoln penny having greater value than its small-date counterpart. As LoveToKnow noted, the value of this specimen comes from the fact that it’s a doubled die obverse proof penny in very good condition.