Your quarter may be worth $1.5 million - experts say it's a 'remarkable specimen' if it has three details on it

YOUR quarter could be worth $1.5 million if it is similar to one that was sold at auction in New York.

Look for three specific details next time you check your pocket change and see if your coins could make you a millionaire.

Coin collectors, known as numismatists, know a pretty penny when they see one, and will pay top dollar for a desirable example.

That's why a humble quarter sold for $1,527,000 at an auction in New York in 2013.

But this was not just any old quarter - it was a 1796 specimen, one of the earliest quarters of the United States Mint.

1796 was the first year quarters were produced in the United States, and only a few dozen of these coins are believed to still be around.

'REMARKABLE SPECIMEN'

The 1796 quarter that sold for $1.5 million had three special details that made it so valuable.

The coin was described as a remarkable specimen by the auction house, Heritage Auctions.

"The sharpness of this coin equals or exceeds any other example seen," wrote the company.

DETAILS TO CHECK

If you want to know whether your quarter is also so valuable - first, check the year.

You should see the number 1796 on the obverse, underneath Liberty.

Then, look for evidence of double striking - this is when a coin is struck twice during the minting process, which has the effect of stronger, more distinct marks.

And thirdly, look at the color of the coin, which should be "gorgeous gunmetal-blue at the borders, gradually changing through orange-gold to nearly brilliant silver at the centers," according to Heritage Auctions.

MAKE THE GRADE?

If you do have one of these 1796 double struck quarter dollars - how valuable it will be is dependent largely on the condition.

Coins are graded on a point grading scale, between 60 and 70.

The coin that sold for $1.5 million was an MS67 grade - which means it had its original luster and above-average visual appeal.

But you don't need to find centuries-old coins to make a profit from your pocket change.

The 1943 Lincoln Penny is one of the most valuable coins in US history because it was made of bronze.

Bronze was in short supply at the time, and was needed for the war effort, so the US government denied the very existence of this coin for years.

In 2019, a Lincoln Penny that had been found in a teenager's lunch money sold for $204,000 at auction.

In 2018, a rare 1913 Liberty Head nickel sold at auction for $4.5 million.

And over in North Yorkshire, England, a couple found a treasure trove of coins worth $850,000 underneath their home.