If you’re interested in becoming a coin collector, you likely already know that a coin’s design can be even more important than its origins or age. Errors in design are particularly sought after by many numismatists. One of the most intriguing examples of this anomaly is the mule coin. Learn more about this prized mint error in the guide below.

What Is a Mule Coin? 

This rare coin collector’s item is a type of error coin, which is the product of a mint manufacturing mistake. Mule coins have mismatched obverse (heads) and reverse (tails) sides. These coins are so-named because a mule is the product of two separate species, a horse and a donkey.

Are They Valuable? 

Though mule coins are mistakes, they’re considered especially valuable by coin collectors since there are so few of them in existence. For example, there’s only one 1959-D Mule Penny in the world. In 2019, this precious penny sold for $50,000. 

Another mule coin features the Washington State quarter design on its obverse side and the Sacagawea dollar on the reverse. Once it was authenticated by the government, this mule coin sold for over $40,000. According to the U.S. Mint, the coin was created when the die for the Sacagawea dollar cracked and was mistakenly replaced with a Washington quarter die. Although thousands were created, the mint got rid of most of them, and there are only 18 in existence today.

If you’re interested in learning more about mule coins and other rarities, head to Coins Plus of Cincinnati, OH. They offer a wide range of rare coins for sale. They also appraise and buy coins from sellers. Since their start in 1972, they’ve become a hub for all three of the nation’s leading grading services. For more information on their services, visit the website. Call (513) 621-1996 to speak with an expert coin collector about their stock.