3 Valuable Dimes: In the realm of numismatics, big value sometimes comes in small units. When it comes to American coins, dimes have led to some of the most desirable rarities, with values disproportionately elevated in comparison with their small dimensions.
The following are three highly prized dimes that have earned a place within the annals of numismatics – they all share a fusion of history, mint mistakes, and extreme rarity that have forged the legends behind these coins.
3 Valuable Dimes: The 1894-S Barber Dime: A Mystery Out of San Francisco
The 1894-S Barber dime ranks as one of the most enigmatic of American numismatic rarities. With just 24 pieces coined at the San Francisco Mint and only nine known survivors, this coin is the ultimate rare of this regular issue U.S. series.
How it was made is also mysterious. The strongest explanation is that 24 dimes were struck by order of San Francisco Mint Superintendent John Daggett in order to reconcile the mint’s annual accounts to an even number of dollars.
He had reportedly given three of the coins to his daughter Hallie, telling her to hang onto to them until they were worth a lot. Legend has it she used it instead for an ice cream, which turned out to be a particularly dear decision in the end.
The coin also has Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber’s depiction of a caped Liberty with a laurel wreath on the obverse. The reverse portrays a wreaht with the value.
It looks just like every other Barber dime made around the date, but because there are so few of them, they are worth hundreds of times more than a more common Barber dime.
An example of the coin graded Proof-66 by Professional Coin Grading Service sold at auction in 2016 for $1.9 million.
Even well-worn examples have changed hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars, meaning this dime may be the most valuable American coin in relative terms.
The 1916-D Mercury Dime: Denver’s Low-Mintage Legend by Mike Byers
One of America’s Most Famous Yes, it’s true! The release of Adolph A. Weinman’s “Winged Liberty” dime in 1916 was met with Denver producing a rare variety die marriage-yours for the owning!
Although Philadelphia and San Francisco each struck millions of the new dime, bearing the Liberty design with winged cap (which is frequently misidentified in popular source as portrayals of the Roman god Mercury), Denver coined a mere 264,000 pieces before halting operations to produce quarters.
Its relatively low mintage and the fact that the coin made its appearance during the collecting craze that was the early 20th century made it a perfect candidate to become a numismatic legend.
Only a small number were saved in high grades because the collector’s focus originally was to obtain examples of all three mints, as opposed to in superior condition. A lot of samples circulated and got worn or damaged before their importance was recognised.
The obverse portrays Liberty with wings on her cap (signifying freedom of thought), and the reverse depicts a fasces (a bundle of rods) and an olive branch, which represents unity and strength and peace, respectively.
The classic design, regarded by many as the most beautiful American coin design, adds extra icing to the cake of the rarity of this coin.
Good pieces still bring prices above $10,000 with uncirculated specimens in the six figures. Even those in heavily worn condition bring thousands of dollars, and this remains the key date of the well-liked Mercury dime series, produced through 1945.
The 1975 No-S Proof Dime: A Modern Error of the Mint
While most of the most valuable coins gained their status by age and low mintage, other modern and rare coins find their identity through error in production.
The 1975 No-S Proof Roosevelt dime is possibly the most valuable modern mint error, struck when a few dimes were produced with proof dies that failed to receive the necessary San Francisco mint mark (““S”).
Proof coins, being minted especially for collectors from highly polished, specially prepared dies and planchets, are subject to extremely careful handling during production.
This in turn makes it particularly astonishing that any such error can escape. Proof coins issued from this era would have had an “S” mint mark as none were produced elsewhere. Only two examples are believed known, and it is considered even rarer than the famed 1894-S.
3 Valuable Dimes:
The coin, bearing that standard design of Roosevelt dimes (which has been in use since 1946) with a portrait of President Franklin D.
Roosevelt on the obverse and a torch surrounded by olive and oak branches on the reverse. It looks just like any other 1975 proof dime, except for the fact that there is no “S” mintmark above the date!
Although it was later investigated that in this case, both known coins were originally obtained in proof sets from the caretakers of the U.S. Mint.
When one example surfaced at auction last year, it was snapped up for $456,000, making it one of the most valuable modern American coins.
The other example is believed to be in a private collection, but would be worth around the same if it were to come up for sale.
These three dimes – representing different periods, designs and situations – show that the greatest value in numismatics often comes not from singularity, but from stories that can be told about the extreme rarity of a particular variety. They tell us history’s greatest treasures are sometimes found in the least ostentatious of envelopes.