| DESCRIPTION | GRADE | TODAY'S PRICE | PRICE 1 YEAR AGO | GAIN | % CHANGE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1872 25C BG-721 | MS63 | $12,000 | $3,500 | $8,500 | 242% |
| 1839 1C N-14, Booby Head, | MS66+BN | $28,500 | $8,500 | $20,000 | 235% |
| 1854 1C Newcomb 1 | MS64RB | $3,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | 200% |
| 1913-D 5C FS-401, 2 Feathers | MS65 | $1,750 | $600 | $1,150 | 191% |
| 1941-S/S 10C RPM FS-502 | AU53 | $175 | $60 | $115 | 191% |
| 1853 1C Newcomb 10, RD | MS65RD | $12,000 | $4,150 | $7,850 | 189% |
| 1873 5C Large/Small 3 | G6 | $500 | $175 | $325 | 185% |
| 1993-P 25C | MS68 | $1,000 | $350 | $650 | 185% |
| 1856 G50C BG-434 | MS67PL | $13,500 | $4,750 | $8,750 | 184% |
| 1835 1C N-9 Lg 8 Lg Stars | AU55 | $8,500 | $3,000 | $5,500 | 183% |
The coin market performed really well in 2024, with many exciting and important coins bought and sold for record prices. With last year's momentum, 2025 may also be a great time for the coin market in general. On the modern side of the coin market, the U.S. Mint introduced several great new coins and new designs last year, and in 2025, the U.S. Mint also has some new coin programs up its sleeve that should bring lots of excitement to the coin market.
We recently reviewed the PCGS U.S. Price Changes — Top Gainers and Losers list for the past year, and in this article we are highlighting some of the top 10 coins that performed the best. The list represents a good mixture of different coins and denominations. A few large cents made it on the list, as well as a nickel, a quarter, a Morgan Dollar, and even a few tokens or special issues made it on the list.
Because of space limitations, we won’t discuss every coin on the Top Gainers list. However, we will mention a few of the highlights and discuss why some of them increased in price.
1872 Octagonal 25 Cent BG-721, PCGS MS63
The first coin on the Top Gainers list is a really cool item. It is none other than an Octagonal 25 Cent piece from 1872, of the BG-721 variety. What's unusual about this example is that one side of the coin has the date 1872, while the other side bears the date 1871. Therefore, it is also considered a mule coin. This really cool and interesting coin was graded PCGS MS63, and it last sold for $11,700 by Heritage Auctions back in August 2023. Over the years, this has proved to be a scarce variety. PCGS has only graded five examples in all grades combined. The PCGS MS63 example mentioned here has a population of only one, with two finer in PCGS MS65. The previous price that was listed in the PCGS Price Guide for the PCGS MS63 example was $3,500, and the most recently updated price is $12,500. That's a 242% increase in one year and one of the top gainers for the year.
1839 Booby Head Large Cent, PCGS MS66+BN
The second coin on the list is an extremely popular variety among large cent collectors. It is none other than the 1839 Booby Head Large Cent. The coin is referred to as “Booby Head” due to the unusual hair strands and shoulder on the bust placement on the obverse design of the coin. The shoulder or part of the bust is showing in an unusual manner, and so is the hair. A PCGS MS66+BN example sold a few years ago at a Stack’s Bowers Galleries auction for $28,200. This is the only coin graded PCGS MS66+BN. Because of this information, we were comfortable with updating the price from $8,500 to $28,500. That’s a 235% gain from the previous listed price in the same grade.
1913-D Buffalo Nickel 2 Feathers Variety (FS-401), PCGS MS65
For the next and final example that we will discuss is the 1913-D Buffalo Nickel boasting the 2 Feathers variety. A PCGS MS65 example was sold at Heritage Auctions a few years ago for a respectable price of $1,440. This variety is somewhat prominent, as the third feather in the chief's headdress is almost completely missing, mainly due to over-polishing of the die, hence the coin is referred to as the 2 Feather variety. This variety is very scarce, and PCGS has graded only 53 examples in all grades combined. We recently updated the price of the MS65 grade for this coin due to the aforementioned auction sale. The price was increased to $1,750, from a previous price of $600. That's a 191% increase in the past year.
This list just highlights a few of the coins that have performed well in the year 2024. The complete list has many more coins that have seen remarkable performance over the past 12 months. To view the entire list, please visit the PCGS Price Guide at PCGS.com and click “Price Changes.”