The market for high-grade, rare United States coins soared in 2021. A record 22 U.S. coins sold at auction for $1 million or more and hundreds of other historic coins and banknotes priced from $1,000 and up set new records, according to the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG). The PNG is a nonprofit organization composed of many of the country’s top rare coin and paper money dealers.
Based on responses to a year-end PNG questionnaire, the aggregate prices realized for all U.S. rare coins sold at major public auctions in 2021 totaled more than $551 million, compared to nearly $369 million in 2020. Public auctions of U.S. banknotes in 2021 totaled more than $50.5 compared to $50.6 million in 2020, bringing the combined aggregate auction sales of rare U.S. coins and paper money in 2021 to nearly $602 million.