8. The “Fake” Nickel in the Closet
Only five 1913 Liberty Head nickels are known to exist, and they are some of the most famous coins in America. The mint never officially made them. Collector George Walton owned one until he died in a car crash in 1962.
Experts examined the coin that was found in the wreckage and called it a fake, suspecting someone had altered the date. Walton’s family accepted the verdict. For roughly forty years, the nickel sat in a closet, in a box with family odds and ends.
In 2003, a reward went out for the missing fifth coin, and the family took theirs to a coin show in Baltimore. In a closed-door meeting, a panel of experts examined it and agreed unanimously that it was real.
The coin sold in 2013 for $3,172,500. It later reportedly changed hands again for about $4.2 million.