Those who have a lot of spare change might consider cashing it in at the nearest machine. But this might be a mistake; sometimes, these coins are nothing short of a hidden treasure. So, before rushing to trade them for a few dollars, one should look for pictures of valuable coins. If one has coins with high returns, they should look for “places to sell old coins near me” online to make some quick bucks.

1936 King George V Dot Cent
If one looks for “10 best coins to buy,” the 1936 King George V Dot Cent will certainly make the list.

Minted in early 1937, the King George V Dot Cent is a popular and rare coin. Its rarity also makes it an in-demand collectible at a high value. It was minted after the demise of King George V in January 1936 and the constitutional crisis caused by the sudden abdication of King Edward VIII (his successor). The need for the new coinage was great between 1936 and 1937, and the Mint officials had no time to prepare a new effigy for a King George VI design to begin production of the new one-cent at the start of the year. So, to indicate that the 1936-dated King George V cents were 1937 emissions, a tiny raised dot was punched into the new dies just below the 1936 date.

Only about five coins are said to be in circulation today and the most recent one was sold for about CAD 312,000.

Bank of Canada Silver Dollar
This rare coin has nicknames like “Emperor” and “Holy Grail.” The Bank of Canada Silver Dollar is rare as only pattern pieces existed that were not intended for circulation. In 1965, this coin had the world record for being the world’s most valuable coin and also the rarest in the country. Experts indicate only three 1911 pattern dollars, two in silver and one in bronze. The bronze and one silver 1911 pattern dollar are at the Canadian Currency Museum. The other 1911 silver dollar got sold at a auction for over CAD 1,377,745.

Victoria 50-Cent Piece in Near-Mint Condition
There were several 50-cent pieces featuring Queen Victoria minted in the late 19th century. But, there are limited pieces in mint or near-mint conditions. It’s what makes the Victoria 50-Cent Piece a collector-worthy coin that sells at high prices during auctions. An 1899 Victoria 50-cent coin is valued at about CAD 50,000.

The 2007 $1 Million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf
A novelty coin, the $1 Million Canadian Gold Maple Leaf coin, is a whopping 220 pounds. Only six pure gold coins have ever been made, as of December 2022, each with a face value of $1 million. These were used as a promotional showpiece for the mint’s one-ounce Gold Maple Leaf coins. In fact, in October 2007, the Guinness Book of World Records certified the coin as the world’s largest coin. The front side of the coin shows Queen Elizabeth II, and the reverse displays a Canadian maple leaf. It was sold at an auction in 2010 for about CAD 5,505,000, at the time.

1916 C Gold Sovereign
A sovereign is a British one-pound gold coin struck at the Royal Canadian Mint between 1908 and 1919. The coin was crafted due to ties with Britain, requiring the Mint to produce sovereigns by order. Since it requires special requests for different commercial purposes, only a few pieces were made. There are only about 50 such coins in circulation, making the 1916 C Gold Sovereign a rare coin. They are identical to British sovereigns but feature a “C” mintmark to indicate the country of production. The value of uncirculated 1916 Gold Sovereigns ranges from CAD 33,000 to CAD 218,000.

1921 5-Cent
The Royal Canadian Mint, in 1921, planned to bring in a 5-cent piece made of nickel for the following year. To prepare for this launch, the Mint melted all existing silver 5-cent pieces. Most were struck in 1921; the only remaining coins that survived were pieces from business strikes and specimen sets sold to visitors of the Royal Canadian Mint in the same year. Today, there are less than 400 in existence, and most come in different grades. Those who have the 1921 5-Cent rare coins could get between CAD 5,500 and CAD 137,000 based on the coin’s condition.

1948 Canada Silver Dollar
The silver dollar has historical significance; it was changed in 1948 due to India’s independence in 1947. The Latin words on the coin “ET IND: IMP” (And Emperor of India) had to be removed from the obverse legend. The flip side of the coin remained unchanged. The 1948 Canada Silver Dollar is a rare coin with only 18,870 pieces initially minted. These are sold at auctions across the country at prices based on their current condition. For instance, the 1948 Canada Silver Dollar was sold for over CAD 93,000 in 2009.

1921 Silver 5 Cent Coin
While modern coins are minted using nickel, steel, and copper, silver was the common choice for coins like the 1921 Silver 5 Cent. The passing of time helped raise the price of this precious metal, making it worth well over its face value. Further, in 1921, Canada passed legislation for the removal of silver from the 5 Cent Coin to replace it with nickel, following which the Royal Canadian Mint melted most of the preexisting examples. Only 400 are said to be in circulation today and are considered The Prince of Canadian Coinage. Circulated pieces are valued between CAD 3,990 and CAD 16,000, while uncirculated ones have been sold at auctions for over CAD 68,900.