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As we celebrate National Mule Day on October 26, we take a moment to honor some of the most important mules in the numismatic hobby – those rare, special errors that pair two different designs from two different types of coins onto a single planchet. These numismatic mules are extraordinarily rare, especially on U.S. coins, given how tight quality control is at the U.S. Mint. Even still, accidents happen, and there are a handful of exciting mules that have escaped from the United States Mint.
Here are three mule errors that defied the odds and now sell for astronomical prices.
2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Reverse with State Quarter Obverse Mule
Arguably the poster child of U.S. error coins is the (2000) Sacagawea Dollar reverse and 2000-P Washington Quarter obverse muled onto the same Sacagawea Dollar planchet. The coin was first discovered by collector Frank Wallin in Arkansas in May 2000 and was soon sold at that year’s American Numismatic Association World’s Fair of Money for a whopping $29,900. Fast forward a quarter century, and only around 20 specimens of this extraordinarily rare error are known, each specimen selling for more than $100,000.
1999 Lincoln Cent / Roosevelt Dime Mule
This highly coveted pairing of a Lincoln Cent obverse and Roosevelt Dime reverse has bewildered the numismatic community, perhaps mostly with the wonder at how such drastic error could have possibly escaped the U.S. Mint. The 1999 Lincoln Cent / Roosevelt Dime mule is believed to be unique, and it scored $138,000 in a 2006 appearance in a Heritage Auctions offering.
2001-D Lincoln Cent / Roosevelt Dime Mule
One must wonder what was happening at the U.S. Mint around the turn of the 21st century, because following on the heels of the 1999 and 2000 mules referenced above, we now turn our attention to another mule that arose in 2001. This time, it’s a 2001-D Lincoln Cent obverse paired with a Roosevelt Dime reverse. It is believed that about four specimens of this 2001 mule exist, with one of these fetching $114,000 in a 2024 Heritage Auctions outing.