It is a registry composition list
The page tells collectors which coins belong in the set and how they are ranked. It does not mean every coin is available, affordable, or practical to pursue.
Registry learning guide
PCGS Set Registry Top 100 U.S. Coins
A beginner-friendly explanation of the PCGS Set Registry "100 Greatest U.S. Coins" composition list, plus the complete ranked list in one clean reference.
Plain-English answer
What this list actually means
The PCGS Set Registry composition list is a checklist for a famous ranked set of U.S. rarities. It helps collectors understand which coins are historically important, extremely scarce, or especially desired in the rare-coin market.
The ranking mixes several factors
PCGS notes that the coins were ranked using factors such as rarity, value, quality, popularity, beauty, and history. That is why a famous story can matter alongside mintage and survival.
Edition differences can happen
Book editions, registry views, and updated collector scholarship may not always present the same order. Treat this page as a readable version of the PCGS registry composition list.
First scan
The top 10 at a glance
The top of the list is heavy with legendary proof issues, gold rarities, and coins with famous backstories. These are not normal type-set targets; they are trophy-level reference points.
- 11804 Dollar Proof
- 21913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof
- 31933 Double Eagle
- 41849 Double Eagle Proof
- 51907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Proof
- 61894-S Barber Dime Proof
- 71907 Double Eagle Pattern Judd-1776 Proof
- 81943 Bronze Cent
- 91822 Half Eagle
- 101885 Trade Dollar Proof
Reading the list
How to understand the rankings
For a new collector, the educational value is not "buy these coins." It is learning why certain coins became landmarks.
A rank line like "1792 Half Disme" or "1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece" points to a specific historical issue, not a broad design family.
Many entries are proofs, patterns, or branch-mint rarities. Those words change the meaning completely.
A coin can be famous because of history, beauty, legal status, auction records, or collector demand. Rarity is only one ingredient.
Use certification, provenance, population reports, auction archives, and current market data before drawing price conclusions.
Complete reference
PCGS Set Registry Top 100 composition list
Grouped into rank ranges so the full list stays scannable on desktop and mobile.
Top 25
| Rank | Coin |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1804 Dollar Proof |
| 2 | 1913 Liberty Head Nickel Proof |
| 3 | 1933 Double Eagle |
| 4 | 1849 Double Eagle Proof |
| 5 | 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Proof |
| 6 | 1894-S Barber Dime Proof |
| 7 | 1907 Double Eagle Pattern Judd-1776 Proof |
| 8 | 1943 Bronze Cent |
| 9 | 1822 Half Eagle |
| 10 | 1885 Trade Dollar Proof |
| 11 | 1872 Amazonian Set Proof |
| 12 | 1776 Continental Dollar |
| 13 | 1877 Half Union Fifty Dollar Proof |
| 14 | 1909-S V.D.B. Lincoln Cent |
| 15 | 1793 Chain Cent |
| 16 | 1876-CC Twenty Cent Piece |
| 17 | 1907 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle with $10 gold diameter Proof |
| 18 | 1792 Half Disme |
| 19 | 1838-O Half Dollar Proof |
| 20 | 1794 Silver Dollar |
| 21 | 1870-S Half Dime |
| 22 | 1854-S Half Eagle |
| 23 | 1856 Flying Eagle Cent |
| 24 | 1873-CC No Arrows Dime |
| 25 | 1907 High Relief Double Eagle |
26-50
| Rank | Coin |
|---|---|
| 26 | 1915-S Pan-Pac Fifty, Octagonal or Round |
| 27 | 1875 Three Dollar Proof |
| 28 | 1879 or 1880 Four Dollar Gold Stella, Flowing or Coiled Hair Proof |
| 29 | 1792 Disme, Copper |
| 30 | 1870-S Three Dollar |
| 31 | 1792 Silver-Center Cent |
| 32 | 1787 Fugio Cent |
| 33 | 1861 Paquet Reverse Double Eagle |
| 34 | 1792 Birch Cent |
| 35 | U.S. Assay Fifty Dollar Gold Coins |
| 36 | 1815 Half Eagle |
| 37 | 1793 Strawberry Leaf Large Cent |
| 38 | 1798 Small Eagle Half Eagle |
| 39 | 1844-O Half Eagle or Eagle Proof |
| 40 | 1884 Trade Dollar Proof |
| 41 | 1873-CC No Arrows Quarter Dollar |
| 42 | 1849-C Open Wreath Gold Dollar |
| 43 | 1838 Ten Dollar Proof |
| 44 | 1804 Plain 4 Ten Dollar Proof |
| 45 | 1866 No Motto Quarter Dollar Proof |
| 46 | 1866 No Motto Half Dollar Proof |
| 47 | 1866 No Motto Dollar Pattern Proof |
| 48 | 1833 Half Eagle Proof |
| 49 | 1834-1837 Classic Head Half Eagle Proof |
| 50 | 1927-D Double Eagle |
51-75
| Rank | Coin |
|---|---|
| 51 | 1829 Half Eagle, Large or Small Planchet |
| 52 | 1907 Rolled Edge Ten Dollar |
| 53 | 1933 Ten Dollar |
| 54 | 1848 CAL Quarter Eagle |
| 55 | 1842 Small Date Quarter Dollar |
| 56 | 1792 Pattern Quarter Dollar |
| 57 | 1817/4 Half Dollar |
| 58 | 1853-O No Arrows Half Dollar |
| 59 | 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter Dollar |
| 60 | 1851-O Silver Dollar Proof |
| 61 | 1802 Half Dime |
| 62 | 1796 Half Cents, With Pole or No Pole |
| 63 | 1874 Bickford Ten Dollar Gold Pattern Proof |
| 64 | 1861-D Gold Dollar |
| 65 | 1916-D Mercury Dime |
| 66 | 1895 Morgan Dollar Proof |
| 67 | 1796 No Stars Quarter Eagle |
| 68 | 1797 Half Dollar |
| 69 | 1836, 1838, or 1839 Gobrecht Dollar Proof |
| 70 | 1795 Nine Leaves Ten Dollar Gold |
| 71 | 1796 Quarter Dollar |
| 72 | 1796 Half Dollar, 15 or 16 Stars |
| 73 | 1854 or 1855 Gold Dollar Proof, Type Two |
| 74 | 1870-CC Double Eagle |
| 75 | 1857-S Double Eagle from the wreck of the SS Central America |
76-100
| Rank | Coin |
|---|---|
| 76 | 1794 Starred Reverse Large Cent |
| 77 | 1864 Small Motto Two Cent Proof |
| 78 | 1867 With Rays Shield Nickel Proof |
| 79 | 1827 Original Quarter Dollar Proof |
| 80 | 1801, 1802, or 1803 Silver Dollar Proof |
| 81 | 1851 Silver Dollar |
| 82 | 1852 Silver Dollar |
| 83 | 1893-S Morgan Dollar |
| 84 | 1870-S Silver Dollar |
| 85 | 1804 13 Stars Quarter Eagle |
| 86 | 1841 Quarter Eagle |
| 87 | 1854-S Quarter Eagle |
| 88 | 1863 Quarter Eagle Proof |
| 89 | 1797 16 Stars Obverse Half Eagle |
| 90 | 1819 Half Eagle, including major varieties |
| 91 | 1825/4 Half Eagle |
| 92 | 1832 12 Stars Half Eagle |
| 93 | 1875 Half Eagle |
| 94 | 1798/7 Ten Dollar, 9x4 Stars or 7x6 Stars |
| 95 | 1808 Quarter Eagle |
| 96 | 1875 Ten Dollar Gold |
| 97 | 1854-O Double Eagle |
| 98 | 1856-O Double Eagle |
| 99 | 1861-S Paquet Reverse Double Eagle |
| 100 | 1854-S Presentation Strike Double Eagle |
Helpful terms
Glossary for new collectors
These terms appear throughout the Top 100 list and can change how a coin should be researched.
Proof
A specially made coin, usually struck for presentation or collectors, with different production standards than ordinary circulation strikes.
Pattern
An experimental or proposed coin design. Patterns may use unusual designs, metals, denominations, or formats.
Mint mark
A small letter that identifies the mint facility. On this list, marks such as CC, D, O, and S often matter greatly.
Population report
A grading-service count of certified submissions by grade. Useful, but not the same thing as a complete survival census.
Registry set
A collecting checklist hosted by a grading service where certified coins can be organized and scored against a set definition.
Provenance
The ownership history of a coin. For major rarities, provenance can be part of authentication, scholarship, and market confidence.
Collector note
Use the list as education, then verify the coin
For ordinary collectors, the best use of this Top 100 list is learning the vocabulary of U.S. rarities: proofs, patterns, branch-mint issues, famous shipwreck coins, and coins where legality or provenance is part of the story. Before acting on any value claim, confirm the exact variety, certification, grade, population data, recent comparable sales, and current ownership context.