It will interest you to know that to determine the value of a 1979 quarter, you need to be made aware of factors ranging from coin rarity, coin color, and mint errors, as these have a huge impact in determining how well a coin performs in the coin collectors world.

For this reason and to ensure that you get the highest value for your coin this detailed guide is expertly curated to guide you on ways to determine that 1979 quarter value.

1979 Quarter Value Chart

Here is a breakdown of the 1979 penny price. You’ll find the coin’s grade, variety and their respective prices as determined by PCGS.

We recommend using this coin value checker to help you determine the value of the 1979 no-mint mark quarter in your possession. Also, you need to know that the coin's price will vary depending on the grade, which is determined by its condition.

History of the 1979 Quarter

The first time the U.S. Mint struck the Washington Quarter was in 1932. With its arrival on the scene, the standing Liberty quarter was discontinued.

Although the intention was to create a coin that would be produced for one year alone in honor of the first American president, George Washington, on his 200^th posthumous birthday anniversary, the 1979 quarter would go on to be used till 1998.

The design adopted spanned longer than planned because the design of the 1979 quarter was in every regard preferred to that of the standing liberty quarter, which it replaced.

To determine the design to be featured on this coin, hundreds of artists submitted designs based on the famous Washington bust sculpture created by French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon.

After reviewing all the entries by different designers, the Coin Commission chose Laura Gardin Fraser's design. However, when the commission submitted the designs to Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon, he refused Fraser’s design.

This led to a controversy about whether Mellon refused this design because he didn't believe a female designer should design such a significant coin or if there was another reason he didn't agree with the selected design.

Fraser’s design eventually lost out as Mellon picked John Flanagan's design. However, her design came back to life when it was issued in 1999 as the 1999 George Washington Commemorative Gold $5 Coin.

Features of the 1979 Quarter

This section paints a mental picture of the physical and distinguishing features of the 1979 quarter.

The Obverse

As stated earlier, the 1979 Washington quarter obverse is based on a pre-existing sculpture of George Washington originally sculpted by French sculptor Jean Antoine Houdon.

Here, a left-facing image of George Washington takes center stage.

Common phrases you’ll find here include;

• LIBERTY: At the top of this Washington’s image and close to the rim
• IN GOD WE TRUST: To the image’s left is the famous phrase

Finally, the 1979 quarters had their mint location inscribed on the obverse. You’ll find it by the right carrying a “D” or “S” mint mark to signify either the Denver or San Francisco mint. Only Philadelphia minted quarters didn't carry such a mark.

The Reverse

The reverse of the 1979 quarter  is totally different from the obverse, as the American eagle occupies the center of the coin here. The eagle clutches a quiver with its talons; this represents war. It also has an olive branch beneath it, representing peace.

In addition, here are some phrases you'll find on close examination of the coin's reverse.

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: At the top of the coin and very close to the rim

E PLURIBUS UNUM: Right above the eagle’s head

QUARTER DOLLAR: At the lower end of the coin

The Edges

The 1979 Washington Quarter features a reeded edge. This means there are 119 carefully carved-out lines around the edge of every coin that defines its appearance.

1979 Quarter Details

In addition to the physical details above, you should also know that this coin is 75% Copper and 25% Nickel over a pure Copper center. The 1979 quarter weighs 5.67 grams and has a melt value of $0.0540.

Finally, this coin holds a face value of $0.25 and comes with a diameter of 24.30 mm and a thickness of 1.95 mm.

Varieties of the 1979 Quarter

Depending on the presence or absence of a mint mark and the mint mark itself, 1979 quarters are divided into three different varieties. These mint marks serve as an indication of where the coin was produced.

1979 No Mint Mark Quarter

First, let's begin with the 1979 quarters from the Philadelphia Mint. These quarters possessed no mint marks and total 515,708,000, making it the highest mintage in the Washington quarter series.

You'll find that this coin variety generally holds a market value higher than its actual face value. A 1979 Philadelphia mint quarter in an MS 64 grade which is more common, is worth $5, while a rarer MS67+ grade is worth as much as $825.

In addition to the above, you should also know that the record for the most expensive 1979 no-mint mark quarter sold is held by an MS68 coin worth $1,440. It was sold by heritage auctions in August 2022.

1979 “D” Mint Mark Quarter

In addition to the Mint at Philadelphia, 1979 quarters were also minted in Denver in large numbers, with a total mintage of 489,789,780. Coins from these two mints bore the same physical features. However, the Denver mint possessed the "D" mint mark, while the Philadelphia mint did not.

Although “D” mint 1979 Washington quarters tend to be a little higher in value than those from Philadelphia, factors like the grade of a particular coin will also help determine the disparity in price when valuing the coin.

A low-grade D mint mark 1979 quarter in okay condition will only sell for $1 or $2; those graded higher, like the MS66, can sell for as much as $34, while an MS67+ grade 1979 quarter can rise to as high as $2,250.

The record sale for this coin currently stands at $1,078.

1979 “S” Proof Quarter

In 1979, the San Francisco mint produced 3,677,175 proof quarters in two known types. One proof was called Type 1, and it possessed a filled “S'' mint mark on the right side of the coin's obverse, while the second was tagged Type 2 and has a clear “S” mint mark.

The Type 2 1979 "S" proof quarters are more sought after than their Type 1 counterpart. This is because they possess a clear "S" mint mark. As seen in the table above, this translates to a slight price disparity between the two types.

1979 Quarter Errors

Error coins are common during production. These errors often affect the coin's value, mostly resulting in an increase in the price. Here we’ve put together known 1979 quarter errors

1979 Quarter Filled D Error

The thought of a mint mark being filled immediately brings to mind the type 1 San Francisco proof quarter and not a Denver mint which is why finding a filled D error is quite interesting.

This error makes the coin one of a kind and is in demand by collectors making it worth double the regular asking price. An error coin of this kind sold for $450 on eBay.

1979 Quarter Triple D error

Due to a die error, the D on a quarter may appear to be tripling. This is not a common error. Quarters with this error tend to have a higher value due to this defect.

On eBay, a 1979 quarter with this error currently stands at $500, making it one of the most valuable 1979 error coins available.

FAQs

On What Side Of The 1979 Quarter Will You Find The Mint Mark?

Philadelphia mints do not have any mint marks on the coin. However, you’ll find marks on the Denver Mint and San Francisco proof coins on the right side of the coin's obverse.

Are The 1979 Washington Quarters Rare Coins?

These quarters are not rare because they have very high mintages from the Philadelphia and Denver mint. However, there are rare error coins among them that are high in value.

But in 1933, the Federal Reserve stopped using gold as a 1:1 pegged standard, and this caused fiat currency to crash. By giving up, the gold 1:1 ratio gave the government and the banking system unlimited money over people since they could always print money. And it went all downhill from there. And it still crashes through the form of inflation. In this article, we talk about the commodity gold and what the next few years are looking like for it. 

Why gold is a good investment and will stay a good investment

Although the price of gold can be very volatile and have a lot of movement in the short term, in the long term, it remains strong through times of financial crises and recessions since the supply of gold is finite. There is only a set amount of gold on this planet, and when everything is dug up, there is no more; they can’t make it artificially. Everything that can be made artificially is usually cheap and low in value. Medicine, antibiotics and other metals we can make in a lab develop in other ways than actually discovering it is low in value since that supply is infinite, so we peg less value to it. 

So through currency crashes, through times of chaos, gold has been standing tall through all of it. So holding gold on hand or saved away is a way to not only make your money worth more in the long term through the value of the actual gold rising, but it is also an amazing hedge fund against inflation and currency fluctuations. 

What can cause the value to fluctuate so much in the short term? 

People’s buying power. Literary people have more and more money around than 50 years ago. People are finding new ways to make money, and people have started being more intelligent with their money, which makes access to gold easy and thus drops its value. 

External sources of gold. However, this is quite rare, but we have seen meteorites crashing into the earth that contained large amounts of gold, massive amounts. So that drops the value of the gold since before there was this set amount of gold on the earth, but now there is external gold that we got our hands on. 

Price prediction on gold

It is difficult to predict the price prediction on gold for the next 50 years. People that study the patterns and movements of the market year in and year out develop a feel for what is to be expected. You should keep this in mind when considering an investment or spending money. Do your own research, educate yourself, learn more etc. 

I want to leave you with an interesting article on this topic. It is called: gold price predictions for the next 5 years and published by goldalliance.com; it is worth checking out if you want to learn more about this. 

Below Christine Bailey, Chief Marketing Officer at international payment solutions company Valitor, explains for Finance Monthly the complexities of valuation and exactly how retailers can determine the value of their stores.

One look around our high streets or news website and you are met with empty stores and articles proclaiming the death of the high street. However, things are starting to change. So it’s time to reevaluate high street stores and put a new price on them.

Price wars with eCommerce 

The reality that has existed for some time is that with higher overheads and a smaller inventory, bricks and mortar stores are at too big a disadvantage to compete with eCommerce on price and choice. Smartphones in hand, consumers are quickly comparing online and in-store prices and buying whatever is cheapest and most convenient. Things only get worse with large scale events such as Black Friday. In fact, nine in ten Heads of Commerce believe these sale events have devalued products in the minds of consumers, to the extent that they’re less likely to shop during non-discounted periods.

In order for brands and retailers to effectively revalue their stores, we need to understand what physical stores can offer and online cannot. Firstly, bricks and mortar have a clear lead with personalising the customer experience. By blending their online and offline setups together, omni-channel retailers can dramatically improve the customer experience

By blending their online and offline setups together, omni-channel retailers can dramatically improve the customer experience.

Offering more than quick sales

For instance, physical stores can benefit an omnichannel retailer via its unique strengths, including in-person support, simple returns, and the ease of payments. In fact, recent research found that almost one in five (19%) retail executives think the top hidden strength of the high street is its people. Assets like in-person support then should not be overlooked. Together, these strengths contribute to a robust in-store customer experience, which may not translate into a sale being made at the store itself, but can support online sales, or reinforce the brand.

Taking this further, there are other elements that omni-channel retailers also need to take advantage of. Embracing an experiential approach and putting customers at the centre of a physical brand experience is key to revaluing physical stores. Through shifting their focus from selling products to the people purchasing them, brands can connect with consumers on another level and start building long term relationships.

One great example and leader in this area is Nespresso. By focusing on consumer needs, Nespresso’s stores showcase its products in an immersive way, creating a multisensory experience. Staff add to this with expert knowledge and can take customers from the physical point of sale all the way to a personalised subscription plan which is then facilitated via its app. So although purchases are made via the app, the physical store has a major driver in securing the sale in the first place and providing an experience centre to push new products and flavours.

[ymal]

Nespresso’s customers now no longer see its stores as just a place to make purchases. Instead, they have become destinations that they want to go, all of which helps build a positive connection with the brand and support the development of a long term relationship. This type of store usage can be replicated quickly and easily by other brands too. What is crucial is having a physical presence that aligned to customer needs.

In the future we may see innovative technologies such as VR and AR also being used, shifting shoppers’ experiences from simply browsing, to immersing themselves in a brand’s offering. But, retailers need to understand it before they invest in it. Crucially, brands also need to identify whether their customers are actually interested in it and see benefit in using it, prioritising their wants and needs.

In this high-pressure era of retail, stores should not be valued purely on revenue anymore. Instead, they should be viewed as a way to complete true end-to-end experiences from first engagement through to the next purchase. Ultimately, this will increase customer retention and the value of each transaction too. While revenue is an ever-important consideration, the ways customers make purchases has changed. This does not mean the value of stores has disappeared. Instead, brands and retailers need to look at how a physical stores advantage can be used to improve the omni-channel experience.

Below, Michael delves into business loans and the most important things you need to be mindful of when applying for one.

When you make the decision to apply for a business loan, the first thing you will notice is the vast amount of choice available to you. This can be extremely confusing if you are not sure what type of loan is suitable for you and your business. Thankfully internet comparison sites can offer a fast and simple process to compare loans and match them to your specific criteria.

Before you begin you must decide:

• What is the purpose of the loan?
• The amount you would like to borrow.
• The period of time you can comfortably pay it back.
• What annual percentage rate (APR) are you comfortable with?
• That you have taken into account any additional fees.

Once you have nailed down these specifics, it is time to start looking.

Reputation

Taking out a loan is a big commitment. Make sure you are borrowing from a reputable lender. A background check is a good way to start. You can typically find customer reviews online that should help inform your decision. Obviously, the best and most efficient method is to use a respected online comparison site to ensure the hard work is done for you.

Clear and simple language

Applying for a loan is daunting enough given the huge number of lenders offering finance at different rates. Then you have to make sure you pick an appropriate payment schedule. Once this is all done, then you will have to check the terms and conditions to make sure you haven’t overlooked something that might come back to haunt you. It is the duty of a loan provider to make sure the information you receive is clear and accessible. If you don’t understand something, make sure you ask for clarification.

Trouble-free payment

Different loan providers offer different payment schedules and lending terms. Traditional loans are paid over a set period of time on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. However, there are now a variety of lending options that are more tailored to the specific needs of borrowers. Merchant cash advances, for example, are calculated as a percentage of a business’s daily card taking and automatically repaid. Invoice finance is another form of lending that can quickly increase business cash flow. A lender can pay you a percentage of the value of your business’ invoices upfront, in return for a cut of their worth.

Hidden charges

Look out for hidden charges such as early, late payment or even processing fees. If you are not careful these can substantially add to the cost of your loan repayments. If a fee was not explained to you by your lender, make sure you contact them to challenge the charges via the Consumer Rights Act. This legislation protects your rights and makes it easier to contest hidden fees and charges. If this fails you can always seek redress with the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).

To find out more, visit: https://www.quotegoat.com/business-finance/

The prediction from Nigel Green, the chief executive of deVere Group, comes after the world’s largest cryptocurrency experienced a 20 per cent price surge over the weekend.

Mr Green commented: “Bitcoin has registered some impressive gains over the last 48 hours after being in a lull period in recent weeks.

“As of now, it has defied the so-called Death Cross – a bearish pattern that takes place when the 50-day moving average falls below the 200-day moving average.

“The $8,500 support has previously acted as a crucial support for Bitcoin. I believe that if Bitcoin bulls can keep the price above this over the next week, the world’s dominant cryptocurrency will experience a breakout and will hit $12,000 before the end of the year.”

He continued: “This latest surge in Bitcoin was triggered by China’s President Xi calling the adoption of blockchain – the technology on which cryptocurrencies run - an important breakthrough for independent innovation of core technologies.

“This is a clear signal that the leader of the world’s second-largest economy is moving towards embracing the technology – in which Bitcoin plays a vital part – and therefore taken as a positive boost for the whole digital currencies sector.  

“Perhaps quite sensibly, investors could not ignore the comments and sentiment expressed by President Xi and reacted by increasing exposure to Bitcoin.

“It also comes as China is said to be developing its own national digital currency, which is further proof that in some form or another, digital currency is the future.”

He added: “As history teaches us, it’s likely that momentum, perhaps partly driven by FOMO (the Fear Of Missing Out), will now pick-up pace again in the cryptocurrency sector.  Should this be maintained this week, I’m confident it will take Bitcoin to $12,000 before the start of 2020.

“The crypto momentum will also be driven by underlying fundamentals that will come back into focus.

“These include geopolitical issues - such as the U.S.-China trade war and the chaos of Brexit - and the global economic slowdown. These are encouraging exposure to decentralised, non-sovereign, secure digital currencies.

“Also, the technical network improvements that have further enhanced the performance of cryptocurrencies, as well as the forthcoming 2020 Bitcoin halving will also fuel price gains.”

The code for mining Bitcoin halves around every four years and the next one is set for May 2020. When the code halves, miners receive 50 per cent fewer coins every few minutes.  History shows that there is typically a considerable Bitcoin surge resulting from halving events.

“But perhaps the most important one is that public awareness is consistently growing. Cryptocurrencies, and in particular Bitcoin, are increasingly part of mainstream finance.

“This is evidenced not only in the financial sector, in which all major banks are increasingly looking at blockchain and crypto, but by the growing interest of governments and institutions, plus the major players within the tech and retail sectors too.”

Nigel Green concluded: “$8,500 is a key support for Bitcoin.  Should the Bitcoin price stay above this level, positive sentiment will be amplified, and we would see near year-highs.”

The analysis from the CEO of the deVere Group comes as investors piled into the Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies this week amid growing trade tensions between the US and China. 

The Chinese renminbi fell to under 7 to the US dollar on Monday – the lowest in more than a decade – igniting drops in stocks and emerging market currencies and driving a rally in government bonds.

Nigel Green, chief executive and founder of deVere Group, notes: “The world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, jumped 10% as global stocks were rocked by the devaluation of China’s yuan as the trade war with the US intensifies.

“This is not a coincidence. It reveals that consensus is growing that Bitcoin is becoming a flight-to-safety asset during times of market uncertainty. 

“Bitcoin is currently realising its reputation as a form of digital gold. Up to now, gold has been known as the ultimate safe-haven asset, but Bitcoin  - which shares its key characteristics of being a store of value and scarcity – could potentially dethrone gold in the future as the world becomes increasingly digitalised.”

He continues: “With the Trump administration now officially labelling China a currency manipulator, escalating the tensions between the world’s two largest currencies economies, investors are set to continue to pile in to decentralized, non-sovereign, secure currencies, such as Bitcoin to protect them from the turmoil taking place in traditional markets.

“The legitimate risks posed by the continuing trade dispute, China’s currency devaluation and other geopolitical issues, such as Brexit and its far-reaching associated challenges, will lead an increasing number of institutional and retail investors to diversify their portfolios and hedge against those risks by investing in crypto assets.

“This will drive the price of Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies higher.  Under the current circumstances, I believe the Bitcoin price could hit $15,000 within weeks.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “Cryptocurrencies are now almost universally regarded as the future of money – but what has become clear this week is that they are increasingly regarded a safe haven in the present.”

After spending a year and a half in the bear market, the price of Bitcoin has recently increased and the bull run is in full force. Although there are certain factors that may have a negative impact on the value of Bitcoin, it is likely that in the long term it will transform into a safe asset due to its rarity. However, the uncertainties of its future can make the price fluctuate daily.

Following a report that Gate.io’s research team launched looking at the fluctuation of the currency, Marie Tatibouet, CMO at Gate.io, teams up with Finance Monthly to take a look at a number of factors that can influence the price of Bitcoin.

User Adoption

One factor that can influence the price of Bitcoin is user adoption of the asset. Popularity of the currency can drive prices up, whereas if the demand for the currency is low, it can decrease the value. Individuals, governments, institutional investors and multinational corporations are adopting Bitcoin, therefore it is evident that the price will be pushed to a new high.

Findings from the report underlined that from 2012 and 2018, the number of Bitcoin addresses with 100 to 1000 BTC gradually increased, accounting for a considerable portion of the Bitcoin in circulation. Additionally, during 2012 and 2015, the price of Bitcoin fluctuated, with it becoming more affordable whist the mining difficulty decreased, and then increasing again. Between 2016 and 2017, Bitcoin became more expensive and the difficulty of mining increased, therefore the growth of Bitcoin slowed down considerably.

Bitcoin Reward Halving

In addition, Bitcoin reward halving is a contributor to the fluctuating price of the cryptocurrency. Bitcoin has a fixed amount of 21 million, unlike fiat money which can be inflated by the centralised authority. It is intended that when 210,000 blocks are generated, the reward from Bitcoin mining will half. Since this was introduced, it has happened twice where the reward has halved - resulting in a fall from 50 BTC to 12.5 BTC. On average this happens every four years.

As a result of Bitcoin reward halving, there is a significant impact on the mining industry. Following the first and second halving, the hash rate decreased, but recovered quickly. Throughout 2018, when the price of Bitcoin was falling, a number of miners decided to leave the practice as well as a few mining pools closing down. This highlights the effect the changing price of Bitcoin has on the industry. However, with this being said, there seems to be a wider acceptance of Bitcoin today. The hash rate began to stabilise at the beginning of 2019, suggesting an optimistic market.

Cryptocurrency Regulations

Cryptocurrency regulations is another factor that can affect the price of Bitcoin. As the cryptocurrency industry has experienced rapid acceleration, regulatory bodies have started to pay more attention to the industry. Governements are now taking note of money laundering, terrorism financing and other criminal activities that can be linked with cryptocurrencies. An example of this is in Canada where amendments to the ‘Proceeds of Crime and Terrorist Financing Act’ now require businesses dealing with virtual currencies to register with the Federal Financial Intelligence Unit.

The development of Bitcoin in most countries is unrestricted, with the report highlighting that among 126 countries, 67% of them consider Bitcoin as legal, whilst 19% of them remain neutral. On the other hand, only 8% the 126 countries deem Bitcoin illegal. The response from regulatory bodies can cause the value of Bitcoin to go up or down.

The Future

Although the future of individual cryptocurrencies are uncertain, the industry is growing as a whole. Predicting the price of individual cryptocurrencies is nearly impossible, but Bitcoin’s recent Strength Indicator shows clearly that Bitcoin is here to stay, at least for the next few years. With additional certainty, we should expect a price increase and stabilization. Bitcoin has created vast opportunities and possibilities and its full potential is yet to be reached. Bitcoin has come so far in the past 10 years, so it will be interesting to see where it will be in the next 10 years and the true value it will offer.

The cryptocurrency jumped nearly 200% since the beginning of April.

Michael Novogratz, CEO of Galaxy Digital, joins "Squawk Box" to discuss what might be behind the surge.

The comments from Nigel Green, chief executive of deVere Group, follow surging Bitcoin prices at the end of last week.  On Friday, the world’s largest and original digital currency jumped around 10% within 24 hours, pushing past $3,700 for the first time in three weeks.

He observes: “It was a relatively sudden jump, and, of course, positive news for those currently holding Bitcoin.

“However, the price only reached the top of the trading range and investors should not be popping champagne corks just yet.”

Mr Green continues: “There are three likely drivers of Bitcoin’s price spike.

“First, there are widely published reports that according to a leaked interview with a commissioner, a Bitcoin ETF could imminently secure approval from the US securities watchdog.

“Second, the development of the lightning network which will dramatically improve Bitcoin’s well-documented scalability issues, allowing it to move towards mass adoption.

“And third, the 2020 Bitcoin halving.  The code for mining Bitcoin halves around every four years and the next one is set for May 2020. When the code halves, miners receive 50 per cent fewer coins every few minutes.  History shows that there is typically a considerable Bitcoin surge resulting from halving events.”

The deVere CEO concludes: “Bitcoin is the flagship cryptocurrency and, as such, we can expect when its values climb, it will drive prices of other major digital currencies such as Ethereum and XRP.”

(Source: deVere Group)

Experts at Bondora have uncovered the private investments of professional footballers across four countries.

Whether sports cars or SUVs, mansions by the lake or penthouse flats: the following research analyses the lifestyle of the highest-paid national football players on the basis of their salary, properties and vehicles, and compares these with the salary, vehicle and property value of the average citizen.

Table: Information on the annual income, property value, car model and car value of the British national team

Table: Information on the annual income, car value and property value of the average UK citizen and Football player

The top earners among the England national team are Harry Kane and Raheem Sterling, earning £9,735,785 from Tottenham Hotspur and £8,518,812 from Manchester City respectively - 95.9% more than the average UK citizen.

Despite Ashley Young having the smallest net worth from the Top 10 list, £6.23 million, his house is the most expensive. With a price tag of over £12 million, it’s forty times the property value of the average UK citizen.

The second most expensive house is owned by Phil Jones, right-defense for Manchester United. His home set him back a hefty £5 million - almost twice his annual salary.

Dele Alli from Tottenham Hotspur owns the most expensive car, a Rolls Royce worth over £370,000. However, the centre-right midfield player has one of the cheaper homes out of the Top 10 list, valued at just over £2 million. It’s 17% of the price of Ashley Young’s property, but almost seven times more expensive than the home of an average UK citizen.

Compared to his net worth of almost £49 million, John Stones from Manchester City has a fairly modest car. The centre defence player owns a Mini Cooper just double the price of a car owned by the average UK citizen.

The lowest paid star from the Top 10 is Marcus Rashford, earning £2,433,946 per annum. His property set him back just over £2 million, 83% of his annual salary. His car, a Mercedes CLA 45 Coupe, may be just 2.5% of his annual salary, but is over nine times the price of a car owned by the average UK citizen.

(Source: Bondora)

If you owned land with the potential to rake in almost 900 million dollars, you would snap up the opportunity to make that eye-watering amount of cash… wouldn’t you? Compare the Market have conducted their analysis of wasted spaces around the world to reveal the countries and locations that are sitting on unused land, and letting the profits slip through their fingers.

Top 5 Countries Wasting Millions of Dollars on Property Potential

Ever considered venturing into the world of property development? It can be risky, but when the profits are this mind-bogglingly high, it can also be worth it. The Wasted Spaces study reveals the Housing

top five locations around the world with the potential to make the most cash if the owner, or countries, were to build houses on the land to sell on.

By analysing the cost of housing per square metre in each country, Compare the Market reveal the true figures to be made by selling property on these wasted spaces:

How Many Homes Could Be Created?

• The largest abandoned sports space, the 1936 Olympic Village, was built 82 years ago and remains disused. In that time, 1,600 homes could have been built on the land to house generations of families and 5,322 individuals at any given time
• Kolmanskop, a ghost town in Namibia is 989,384 square metres with enough space for 5,000 houses - meaning over 15,000 people could be housed
• Japan’s Nara Dreamland was left abandoned in 2006, and its eerie remains were demolished ten years later. The remaining space could have been used to build around 650 homes - housing around 1,257 people
• Malmo Stadion in Sweden is 60,288 square metres equating to around 8 football pitches. The now vacant space could house 807 people in 250 homes
• The Houston Astrodome, also the world’s first multi-purpose domed stadium, is now partially demolished but has the potential for 165 homes, housing 774 people

Country’s Debt

Germany tops the list as the country with the most amount of abandoned locations on the Wasted Spaces list. But, as the country with the fourth largest external debt - if they sold all of the land of wasted buildings they own in this study, they would have $994.3 million.

The US has the second highest amount of abandoned places on the list including Houston Astrodome, Pontiac Silverdome, Michigan Central Station, and Sterick Building. The total combined price of the land these derelict buildings are sitting on is $51.5 million -  out of their total external debt figure of $21 trillion.

With the ninth largest economy in the world, Brazil is renowned for their growing economy, they also have an excessive amount of debt. The country has one property on the wasted spaces list; the Olympic Aquatic Centre that is 13,269 square metres and an estimated land housing value of $14.8 million.

(Source: Compare the Market)

Back in July Finance Monthly reported on how much your personal data was worth on the dark web.

Price comparison experts Money Guru conducted research on several dark web marketplaces and uncovered that criminals can buy your details on the dark web for less than a coffee. In fact, email logins could be bought for as little as £2.10, and Facebook logins for £3.

Sadly, data breaches are becoming a common occurrence. In the past few months alone British Airways, Reddit, HMRC and Ticketmaster have all been hit.

New research from Money Guru shows that the cost of personal data on the dark web has reduced significantly following Facebook’s recent data breach.

How Much Is Your Data Worth Now?

Your data, which can include everything from banking details to social media logins, is worth less than you might think to hackers and scammers.

Following the Facebook data breach hacked Facebook account details are now being sold on the dark web for as little as £0.77 ($1). This is £2.23 ($2.90) down from Money Guru’s previous findings earlier in June 2018.

They also found that hacked Instagram credentials are available on the dark web for as little as £1.91 ($2.50), down £2.89 ($3.80) and that hacked Twitter accounts are being sold for as little as £0.61 ($0.80), a reduction £1.89 ($2.50).

However, that wasn’t all that the price comparison expert discovered during their research.

Money Guru discovered tools and guides to help people hack into Facebook accounts available on the dark web for as little as £1.29 ($1.70), and similar tools for Instagram for £0.87 ($1.15) and Twitter for £0.87 ($1.15).

The personal finance experts discovered tools to help hack Gmail, commit phishing attacks and bypass phone verification available on the dark web for as little as £0.87 ($1.15). They are also found a plaintext database of Twitter account details with millions of emails and passwords available for £31.86 ($41.60).

Staying Safe Online

Deborah Vickers, channel director at moneyguru.com said: “Our social media accounts put our lives under a microscope and these details are frequently stolen and sold to unscrupulous companies so they can target you with advertising. By using your data against you, criminals can lock you out and take control of your accounts, which could cause serious reputational and financial worry.

“Rather concerningly all three dark web markets that we researched (Wall Street Market, Dream Market and Burlusconi Market) are currently offering ‘164m LinkedIn user records’ including separate pieces of information such as email addresses, names, passwords for only £7.65 ($9.99).

“However, it seems that as more data breaches occur, the more aware the general public are becoming of the issue which could be causing the significant price drops of personal data on the dark web. Our research into personal data and how much it's actually worth on the black market is shocking to say the least. It just goes to show how vital it is to protect your data where possible to avoid facing costly consequences.”

So What Data Can Criminals Buy on the Dark Web?

The marketplaces Money Guru searched were ‘Dream Market’, ‘Burlusconi Market’ and ‘Wall St Market’ (three of the most popular current markets since the fall of the Silk Road) all of which provide goods including:

• Personal Data
• Fraud Kits & Instructions
• Counterfeiting Supplies & Services
• Illicit Drugs
• Weaponry