How to Spot Rare Sacagawea Dollar Error Coins (Plus, What They're Worth)

Download Article

Numismatics expert Dean Kinzer discusses Sacagawea error coins that can be worth thousands

Co-authored by Dean Kinzer and Amy Bobinger, BA

Last Updated: November 20, 2025 Fact Checked

Download Article

• Sacagawea Error Coins
|
• Coin Collecting Tips
|
• FAQs
|
• Video

|Show more |Show less

Sacagawea Dollars were first introduced by the U.S. Mint in 2000, and some of the most collectible coins in this series are the result of errors during the minting process. From mismatched dies used on the front and back of the coin to an experimental rinsing agent gone wrong, we’re taking a look at some of the most interesting (and valuable) Sacagawea coin errors, plus what to look for if you’re interested in collecting error coins, with tips and insights from numismatics expert Dean Kinzer.

Sacagawea Dollar Coin Errors

Numismatics expert Dean Kinzer says valuable Sacagawea errors include mules, off center strikes, wounded eagles, missing edge lettering, and doubled dies. Here are specific coins to look for (and what they’re worth):

• 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Washington Quarter Mule: Up to $250,000
• 2000-D Sacagawea Dollar Mule with South Carolina Quarter Reverse: Up to $66,000
• 2000 Lincoln Cent Struck on Sacagawea Dollar: Up to $35,000
• 2000-P Sacagawea Coin on Susan B. Anthony Planchet: Up to $15,000
• 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Wounded Eagle (Die Gouge): Up to $5,000
• 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Struck onto Maryland State Quarter: Up to $3,000
• Undated Sacagawea Dollar: Up to $1,000
• 2001-D Sacagawea Dollar—Planchet Split After Strike: Up to $850
• 2001-P Sacagawea Experimental Rinse Dollar: Up to $75

Steps

Section 1 of 3:

Sacagawea Error Coins

Download Article

1. 
   1
   2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Washington Quarter Mule (Up to $250,000) Kinzer says mule errors are valuable. These collectible Sacagawea coins were made using the die for one coin on the front and a die for a different coin on the back—a rare error known as a mule. The front of the coin is a 2000-P Washington quarter, and the back of the coin is a 2000-P Sacagawea dollar. Because the quarter is smaller than the planchet it’s stamped on, the front of the coin features a thick, raised border.

   • When the first one of these was discovered in 2000, it was the first known example of a U.S. mule coin.
   • There are 11 verified examples of the Sacagawea Dollar Washington Quarter Mule
   • What’s it worth? The PCGS Price Guide values this coin at up to $250,000, making it an extremely valuable dollar coin. The auction record for this coin is $192,000.

   Meet the wikiHow Expert

   Dean Kinzer is a numismatics expert and the founder of Kinzer Coins. He’s also the host of the Ancient Coin Hour Podcast, where he shares tips to help listeners build their own coin collections.
2. 
   2
   2000-D Sacagawea Dollar Mule with South Carolina Quarter Reverse ($66,000) This coin features Sacagawea on the obverse and the 2000 South Carolina state quarter on the reverse. The quarter side of this stunning coin has a thick, ringed border. There is only one known example of this error coin.

   • What’s it worth? This coin sold for $66,000 at auction in 2022.
   Advertisement
3. 
   3
   2000 Lincoln Cent Struck on Sacagawea Dollar ($35,000) This unique double-denomination error coin features a Lincoln penny stamped onto both sides of a Sacagawea dollar. The Sacagawea dollar was struck first, creating a normal coin. It was then struck again between one-cent dies, so the image of a Lincoln penny appears on both the obverse and reverse of the coin. There is only one known example of this coin.

   • What’s it worth? In 2015, this coin sold at auction for $35,000.
4. 
   4
   2000-P Sacagawea Coin on Susan B. Anthony Planchet ($15,000) In late 1999, a Sacagawea coin was accidentally struck onto a Susan B. Anthony planchet. The result was a silvery-gold Sacagawea dollar that’s extremely rare—there may be as few as 9 coins existing today.

   • What’s it worth? In mint condition, this coin could bring $15,000 or more at auction.
5. 
   5
   2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Wounded Eagle (Die Gouge) ($5,000) Kinzer says wounded eagle is an error to watch for. It’s the result of a flawed die that created a raised line just below the eagle’s wings on the reverse of the coin. The raised, straight lines look like an arrow or spear passing through the body of the eagle—hence the nickname “Wounded Eagle.” There are currently about 115 known examples of this error coin.

   • This error is sometimes called “Speared Eagle,” but “Wounded Eagle” is the more commonly accepted name. Some collectors prefer to refer to this coin simply as a “Die Gouge” or “Die Dent” error instead.
   • If you think you’ve found one of these, carefully inspect it to be sure the lines are raised, not indented—some counterfeiters have been known to cut lines into non-error coins to imitate Wounded Eagle coins.
   • What’s it worth? The Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) values this coin at up to $5,000 in mint condition. On occasion, they may go for even more than that—one sold at auction for $7,200, for instance.
6. 
   6
   2000-P Sacagawea Dollar Struck onto Maryland State Quarter (Up to $3,000) This Sacagawea dollar was struck onto a Maryland state quarter planchet. The resulting coin is a gray-ish gold color instead of the usual warm gold of a Sacagawea dollar. Details from the original coin are faintly visible.

   • What’s it worth? This coin could sell for up to $3,000 at auction.
7. 
   7
   Native American Dollar Missing Edge Lettering (Up to $1,000) Kinzer says coins with missing edge lettering can be valuable. By 2009, Sacagawea Dollars were known as Native American Dollars, as the reverse had been updated to showcase scenes honoring the nation’s First Peoples. The date and mint mark were stamped around the edge of the coin. Rarely, this stamp is missing, creating a rare and relatively valuable error coin.

   • This error has been found in multiple years, including 2009, 2010, and 2017.
   • What’s it worth? Depending on the year and condition, this coin can be worth up to $1,000 at auction, although the first known example of this coin reportedly sold for $10,000.
8. 
   8
   Undated Sacagawea Dollar ($1,000) This error occurred as the result of a die adjustment during striking. The result is a blurry-looking coin that’s missing the date and other defining features.

   • What’s it worth? One of these coins sold for auction for about $1,000.
9. 
   9
   2001-D Sacagawea Dollar—Planchet Split After Strike ($850) This planchet strike error coin has a clear obverse featuring Sacagawea, but the reverse of the coin is blurred and featureless. Because one side is well-defined, it indicates that the planchet split after the strike. In this case, a thin layer on the reverse side split away from the rest of the coin.

   • If a planchet splits before the strike, there’s usually not enough metal to completely fill the die, so both sides have weak detailing.
   • What’s it worth? This coin sold for over $850 in 2012.
10. 
    10
    2001-P Sacagawea Experimental Rinse Dollar (Up to $75) In 2000, the Philadelphia Mint experimented with a new rinse to help prevent them from tarnishing. The chemicals used in the bath turned the coins a deep chocolate brown. The rinse was discontinued, and the coins that were treated with this rinse are now considered collectible.

    • What’s it worth? The PCGS Price Guide values these coins at around $10, but at auction they can fetch up to $75 in mint condition.
11. 
    11
    Sacagawea Dollar Position B Error ($45) A Position B error occurs when the edge lettering is stamped upside-down when you look at the obverse of the coin. This is a fairly common error, so these coins aren’t as valuable as some errors—but in good condition, they can still be worth a lot more than face value.

    • What’s it worth? The current record for a Sacagawea coin with a Position B error is around $45.
12. 
    12
    Sacagawea Dollar Die Strike Errors ($200–$3,000) Kinzer says that double-die and off-center strikes are coin errors to look for. It’s one of the more common types of coin errors that occurs when a coin is struck multiple times or the die is off-center. These may not bring in tens of thousands of dollars like some of the more spectacular errors, but they can still be worth a few hundred dollars, depending on the condition of the rest of the coin and how interesting the error is to a collector. A few known die errors found on Sacagawea coins include:

    • 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar struck 50% off center ($3,000)
    • 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar struck 4 times (3 strikes off-center) ($2,600)
    • 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar struck 5 times and clipped ($2,000)
    • 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar struck 15 times ($2000)
    • 2000-P Double-Strike Error ($1,300)
    • 2000-P Sacagawea Dollar rotated die error ($200)
Advertisement

Section 2 of 3:

Collecting Tips for Sacagawea Error Coins

Download Article

1. 1
   Compare the coin to a non-error example. To be sure what you’re looking at really is an error, carefully examine the error coin next to a standard version of the exact same coin. Be sure both coins have the same year and mint mark—otherwise, there may be tiny variations that can make it hard to know whether something is an error or just a variance.
2. 2
   Only buy certified error coins. Kinzer says error coins are rare and can be hard to find, so there’s definitely a market for them. Unfortunately, error coins are frequently counterfeited, since they’re highly desired by collectors. If you’re thinking about purchasing a coin, make sure it’s certified by an organization like PCGS or the Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC).

   • While you may be lucky enough to find an error coin in your pocket change, they’re pretty rare, so if you really want one for your collection, you’ll likely have to buy it. The Mint usually pulls these coins before they go to circulation, so only a few actually make it out to the public.
3. 3
   Shop with a reputable dealer, auction house, or organization. If you’re serious about coin collecting, you’ll have the best luck by working with experts in the field. Check auction houses (like Heritage Auctions, Stacks Bowers, or Goldberg Coins) that specialize in selling rare coins, or check in your area for a well-respected local coin dealer.

   • You can look on sites like the American Numismatic Association (ANA) to see how well a dealer rates with other coin buyers.
   • Kinzer says, “You should do your research. Find out what the errors are, how many may have been minted, and always look at pricing. You certainly can overpay if you don't pay attention.”
4. 
   4
   Double-check the value of the coin. Kinzer recommends checking the value of coins online to make sure you’re getting a good deal. Here are the sites Kinzer recommends:

   • CNGcoins.com: “They have a research page where you can search and see the history of what they’ve sold at auction over the past 50 years. That gives you a good idea of a price range,” says Kinzer.
   • ACSearch.info: “This one aggregates data from multiple auction houses, so you get a broader view of what things have sold for over the last 10, 20, even 100 years,” Kinzer notes.
Advertisement

Section 3 of 3:

FAQs

Download Article

1. 1
   How rare are Sacagawea error coins? Error coins can be extremely rare, and in a lot of cases (like the Washington quarter or Lincoln penny mule errors), there’s only one copy known to exist. Others (like the experimental rinse or Position B errors) are slightly more common, but still a lot less common than standard coins.

   • Kinzer explains that errors are a lot more common in ancient coins because the minting process was not refined like it is now, so the opportunity for mistakes was higher. "Some of the coolest ancient coins are the ‘brokerage’ error types where the die was only struck on one side,” he notes.
   • Kinzer continues, “Error coins are a great way to collect, and I certainly encourage it!”
2. 2
   How do you know if you have a rare Sacagawea coin? Compare your coin to a standard Sacagawea coin to find variances. If you have a Sacagawea error coin, chances are that it’s at least somewhat rare. Even if it’s one that occurs more frequently, like the experimental rinse error, the coin will still probably be worth more than face value.

   • Aside from errors, the 2000-P Cheerios Sacagawea dollar with enhanced tail feathers is considered extremely collectible.
3. 3
   Are Sacagawea coins rare? Standard Sacagawea coins aren’t especially rare—millions of them have been minted, and a lot of them are still in circulation. That said, error coins, special editions, and pristine uncirculated coins can be quite valuable due to their rarity.
Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.

Submit

Advertisement

Video

Tips

Submit a Tip

All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published

Name

Please provide your name and last initial

Submit

Thanks for submitting a tip for review!