11 Coins From the 1970s That Are Worth Way More Than Face Value

There are many ways to earn extra income by tapping into collector markets — and coin enthusiasts are known to shell out big bucks for rare pieces, some of which you may even have lying around in your change jar.

You may think coins only have value if they're extremely old or made before modern minting processes were implemented. Still, several coins from the 1970s are worth significantly more than their face value — some might even be worth thousands.

Check your change jars for these 11 valuable coins from the '70s.

Pennies from 1970 minted in San Francisco are valuable because there are two varieties — "large date" and "small date" — and many collectors are interested in having both.

On the large date penny, the numbers are slightly bigger, and the word "LIBERTY" is printed more strongly than on the small date penny. These pennies often sell for more than $100, but the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) notes the highest recorded auction sale was $1,500 in 2019.

The 1970-S small date penny looks only slightly different from its large date counterpart, but PCGS notes that the "7" in the date line appears smaller on these coins, and the "LIBERTY" stamp is weak.

1970-S small date pennies with high grades, or mint state (MS), can be worth serious cash — with PCGS putting the record auction sale price at $2,464.

This one is extremely rare, but you never know what might be hiding in the bottom of your coin purse or between your couch cushions. Due to a printing error, the design from a 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar coin was stamped over a 1978 Thomas Jefferson nickel.

A version of the rare coin sold at auction in 2014 for more than a whopping $15,000.

A 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar coin without any errors could still be worth some serious cash — especially if you happen to have one in very good condition that would receive an MS rating (which ranges from 60 to 70) in the high-60s.

According to PCGS, the record auction price was $3,819 for a piece sold in 2014.

Proof coins are created to serve as models for future coins and extra care is taken when stamping these models. This results in much sharper detail — and proof coins labeled as "deep cameo" even appear to have a "frosting," according to PCGS.

1971-S proof pennies that fit this deep cameo description can be worth thousands — and one sold at auction in 2004 for more than $17,000.

The 1976 Bicentennial quarter was created to mark 200 years of American independence — and the reverse side of the coin (tails side) features an image of a colonial drummer.

The Philadelphia Mint facility wasn't marking its coins at the time, so if you have one with no mint mark, it was struck in Philly and is a "clad" coin (made from different materials). These have been known to sell for thousands of dollars. The auction record, a sale in 2024, is $2,520.

This is another rarity, but a unique misprint makes these 1974-S pennies worth thousands. The coin has the standard 1974-S Abraham Lincoln markings on the front and a reverse brockage from a 1973-S cent on the back (with another picture of Lincoln).

One reportedly sold for more than $11,000 in 2020.

A minting mistake known as a double die, where the coin gets struck multiple times by the design stamp and can result in subtle differences in the coin's appearance, can add quite a bit of value to a penny.

Double dies can happen on the obverse (heads) or reverse side of a coin — sometimes both. A 1971-S double die penny sold in 2007 for $748.

Another rare coin that could net you a small fortune is a 1970-S nickel that appears to be "double struck," or struck multiple times so that the stamp on the coin looks almost flattened, and broadstruck, meaning the stamp is not perfectly centered.

The rare minting error puts the coin's value at around $2,000.

Another double-struck nickel from 1973 and minted in Denver could be worth a few hundred bucks. This particular minting error resulted in a second strike that is approximately 75% off center.

A version of the coin is currently being auctioned by Heritage, with a starting price of just under $900.

A 1975 proof dime, produced by the San Francisco Mint but without the S to show for it, could net you thousands of dollars. Unfortunately, only a handful of these "no mint mark" coins are known to exist.

In 2019, one of those coins was sold at auction for a whopping $456,000.

Selling valuable coins is an excellent way to make extra money on the side without risking your full-time job, however, most coins, even old ones, aren't worth much more than their face value.

When sifting through your change jar, look for things like subtle printing errors (double strikes), missing mint marks or, if you happen to have some pennies from 1970, font size variations.