$7.5 Million Nickel, $2 Million Dime To Be Exhibited In Schaumburg

SCHAUMBURG, IL — In the world of rare coins, face value and insurance value can be quite different. Four of the most famous and valuable United States rare coins — including a $7.5 million nickel and a $2 million dime — will be publicly displayed in Schaumburg, April 28-30.

The historic coins have a combined face value of only $1.16 but are insured for $19 million, and this will be the first time they have ever been exhibited together, according to organizers of the Central States Numismatic Society convention at the Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center, 1551 Thoreau Dr.

Described as "The Big 4," the rare coins are on loan from private collectors and will be displayed by GreatCollections Coin Auctions of Irvine, California (www.GreatCollections.com).

“One of the historic coins is a U.S. silver dollar dated 1804 that was presented as a diplomatic gift by the State Department to the Sultan of Muscat (the capital of Oman) on behalf of President Andrew Jackson in 1835. The finest known of its kind, it is insured for $9 million,” said Larry Shepherd, convention manager.

“The other three coins are the finest of only five known 1913-dated Liberty Head nickels and insured for $7.5 million; one of the finest of only nine known dimes struck in 1894 at the San Francisco Mint and insured for $2 million; and one of the most famous ‘error’ coins, a 1943 Lincoln cent mistakenly made of bronze instead of zinc-coated steel,” said Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections.

According to the convention organizers, steel was supposed to be used for all United States pennies struck in 1943 to conserve copper during World War II, but a few were incorrectly made with the previous year’s metal blanks. Formerly in the collection of Texas Rangers' baseball club co-owner, Bob R. Simpson, this famous penny is insured for $350,000.

“I acquired these ‘Big 4’ coins over the past year on behalf of clients who are now graciously loaning these extraordinary numismatic treasures so people will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see them together for the first time in public,” Russell said.

The Central States Numismatic Society coin show will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, April 28; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday, April 29; and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 30. Admission is $5 or $10 for a three-day pass.

Several hundred dealers will be buying and selling with the public during the show, and there will be dozens of other educational exhibits of rare coins and paper money. For additional information, visit www.CentralStatesNumismaticSociety.org/convention.