AN error coin featuring third US president Thomas Jefferson has sold for more than $450 on eBay.
The nickel was minted in 1942 and has a D mark, which is where the error is present.
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The error is known as the D over Horizontal D.
If you look closely, you can see that there is something behind the mark, which of course happens to be another D.
“The 1942-D over Horizontal D Jefferson Nickel is a result of a Mint employee punching the mint mark in the wrong position on the working die,” Professional Coin Grading Service’s Jaime Hernandez wrote in a description of the coin.
“Up until late in 1989 the Mint employee would hand punch the mint mark on to the working die and many times the mint mark would accidentally be struck the wrong way."
While the circulated error coin is rare enough, it gets even more scarce in an uncirculated grade– with “probably” less than 100 examples in existence, Mr Hernandez added.
In total, there are only a “few hundred” examples of the error nickel known.
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The seller of the coin in the listing was certified by American Numismatic Association Certification Service (ANACS) in an “AU58” grade.
“AU” stands for about uncirculated.
After picking up 19 bids on eBay, the Jefferson coin sold for $455 on January 23. That would mean the nickel is now worth 909,900% its denomination.
Rare coins
You may be holding something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles on rare coins to see if you may have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
If you happen to find the original strike of the 1942 Jefferson D nickel, keep in mind it might not be as valuable.
In average condition, the original strike is worth only $0.33 and up to $67 if in “uncirculated (MS-65),” according to USA Coin Book.
There have been nearly 14million 1942 D Jefferson nickels minted.
Currently, there are some D over Horizontal D Jefferson 1942 coins listed on eBay in the hundreds.
Another error Jefferson coin recently sold for more than $129 online.
But as always - make sure you're aware of possible fakes online.
To avoid this, make sure you check the seller’s history and whether or not the coin was certified in the listing.
What is your spare change worth?
Know that your nickels aren't the only coins that could be worth a serious mint.
You’ll want to check your change for rare dimes, half dollars, Lincoln pennies, quarters, and others because some of these coins might sell for thousands.
The most valuable coins are usually those with a low mintage or an error, as they're deemed the most valuable by collectors.
To check if your coins are worth anything on eBay, search the full name, select the "sold" listing and then toggle the search to "highest value.”
It will give you an idea of the amount of money that the coin is going for.
You can either choose to sell the coin on eBay or through a specialist site such as Coinappraiser or USA Coin Book.
In other rare coin news, a counterfeit Jefferson coin recently sold for more than $400 online.
Read More on The US Sun
We've explained the Lincoln VDB, 1992, and 1914 pennies and why they are so valuable.
Plus, we show you how to find rare coins including ones featuring Lincoln.
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