Check Your Change! - Ultra Modern Coins Finds a New Niche in Variety Collecting

To begin, ultra moderns consists of any coin or currency that have been produced since 2000.  But let's squash all the talk about how modern coins are a waste of time for treasure seekers.  In a hobby where a coin's life is cyclical, finding the older material is becoming a tough task for young collectors who haven't had the benefit of living through transitional design and composition changes.  Ultra modern releases offer the best mix of value, variety, and potential winfall.  And the best part?  Moderns are an overlooked arena in cherrypicking that I firmly believe will pick up steam in the next 10-15 years.  Here's a selection of notable varieties that can be found in the modern era of coinage.

Lincoln's left hand may make you go
dizzy!  Check for some rather dramatic
doubling for a modest winfall.

2009-P Formative Years Lincoln Cent - Doubled Die Reverse

Comes in dozens and dozens of different variations, the second release in the commemorative series of Lincoln cents boasts a wonderful and highly collectible Doubled Die Reverse.  Examine Lincoln's hand to have a doubled digit, or two or three.  It just goes to prove that modern technology can have its mistakes as well.  More dramatic and raw examples sell in the $10-$50 range, lessor examples in the $5-10 area.

2005-D Washington Quarter - Wisconsin High & Low Leaf

Intentional or not, the low and high leaf
varieties sparked a frenzy for not just veteran
coin collectors, but for new ones as well.

The clock struck high noon at the release of the Wisconsin state quarter. Variety pickers were greeted with what would be the "top flight" variety in the state quarters program until the next coin on this list surfaced. Some would speculate that this is not an error, but an exercise of intentional behavior at the mint. Raw finds from pocket change pop up on occasion, and these little gems still sell in the $35-$100 range.  Mint state examples climb to multi-hundred dollar prices.

Doubled Duke!  These have been
spotted in change before, keep a look
out on this elusive doubled die.

2009-D Washington Quarter - D.C. Doubled Die Reverse

The Wisconsin looked to have the lead in the "ultimate" variety state quarter until this little rarity was discovered.  For those of you on the west coast lucky enough to find this dramatic doubled example, this is not only one of the top varieties of the modern era.  But it's a highly sought after piece that garners upwards of $2k-3k in mint state. To give collectors an idea of scarcity, examples pop up on Ebay about twice a year.  The crisp clockwise spread is one of the most notable in half a decade of modern coining.

Presidential Gold Dollars - Missing Edge/Inverted Lettering

Commonly overlooked and passed up for the paper dollar, the presidential series of gold dollars are a true variety hunters haven. Beginning with the first coin in the series to portray Mr. Washington himself, collectors or public transit users found many examples with the missing edge lettering that usually houses the date and motto.  Steam quickly picked up on the secondary market as these sold for several hundred dollars and the collector base expanded.  Today, MEL variety
dollars are found on most of the presidents and make for a great direction in modern variety hunting in spite of a cooler market.  Also looked for doubled and inverted edge lettering, these sell on similar levels.

Sacagawea Mule and "Cheerios" Dollars

The most exciting part about collecting coins are the folk lores that one can come across.  First on the bucket of profit list is the "Cheerios" Sacagawea dollar.  These were inserted in specially marked boxes of cereal of its namesake.  Cheerios dollars are best identifiable by the sharp engraved tail feathers on the reverse.  These sell regularly in the $2k-3k range in an auction setting.  The coin you see (pictured) is what is called the fabled Sacagawea Mule.  For this trial piece, the obverse of a state quarter was struck in conjunction with the reverse of the dollar coin on a gold dollar planchet.  A tale of two dies is more appropriate for this abnormality.  None have been found searching rolls or change, but now collectors will know what one looks like if he/she comes across one.  Auction estimates and previous sales go for many tens of thousands of dollars.

In closing, hindsight is 20/20 when it comes to ultra modern variety hunting.  But if these examples are any indication of what the future might hold, I would certainly reserve your front row seat and get ready to search for the next big find.  Good luck hunting!