Some coins are extremely uncommon and expensive for a variety of reasons.
Most situations involving normal US currency involve a mix of the penny, nickel, dime, or quarter’s unique history, a substantial inaccuracy, and the condition of its quality.
Coin experts frequently utilize the PCGS Grading Standards to determine condition.
The scale, created by numismatist Dr. William Sheldon in 1948, runs from 1 to 70.
Coins of a 70 grade are of the greatest quality and in near-perfect condition, whereas a 1 would be hardly recognized.
The three dimes with significant financial value are all Mint State (MS) 66 or above.
1919-S DIME
Starting from oldest to youngest, a 1919-S dime graded MS66 sold for $132,000 last year, according to Heritage Auctions.
Dimes manufactured that year prominently display Lady Liberty rather than former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who had been portrayed on the obverse (heads) side since 1946, following his death a year prior.
Liberty, designed by Adolph Weinman, sports a winged Phrygian cap and a fasces wrapped in an olive branch on the reverse (tails) side.
Fasces are a bundle of rods that signify law and government, and they are responsible for the 1919’s high value.
The 1919 dime that sold for over six figures included “full bands.”
Full bands are the bands that can be seen tied around the faces on the reverse side to keep them together.
The only way to establish whether they are “full” is whether there is a visible and definite division between each set of bands, with the central one clearly visible.
Experts who analyzed the 1919-S that went up for auction declared the strike “nothing short of exceptional,” and the visual appeal was “simply marvelous.”
While it is feasible to locate one of these dimes, you will need to seek for and verify the entire band to determine its value.
1942/1 DIME
A unique 1942 cent might be worth thousands, as one went for $76,375 at auction in 2016.
Because it is pre-1946, Lady Liberty appears on the front, with the fasces and olive branch on the back.
Except that its value does not fall within the entire bands this time.
In addition to the MS66 grade, experts discovered a minting error on the obverse with the date 1942.
In 1942, a “1” appears exactly before a “2”.
It appears to be the product of a dime being struck with a 1941 planchet and then struck again with a 1942 planchet.
So, if you see this dime, look for a “1” and you could be in for a big payday.
1975 NO ‘S’ DIME
Finally, your piggy bank may contain a 1975 dime with a particular flaw.
Only two copies have ever been identified and sold, thus it may be more difficult to find than the others.
In 2019, one of them sold for $456,000 at auction.
The dime’s value stems from the absence of the “S” stamp, which identifies the San Francisco Mint.
The San Francisco Mint struck all proof coins, or pieces intended for collectors rather than normal business use, in 1975.
This comprises at least 2,845,450 proof dimes, all of which should have carried the “S” stamp.
Except that normal dimes were minted at the same time with no mintmark that year to benefit the Philadelphia mint.
While the most made it out with the correct marking, a few slipped through the crack.
Americans should also be wary of other coins valued thousands or millions.
For example, three Lincoln pennies worth up to $138,000 are still in circulation.
A Liberty nickel could be worth $4.5 million due to its “glittering” surface.
