THREE of the most valuable dimes in circulation could be sitting in your spare change.
Some coins can be exceedingly rare and worth serious money for several reasons.
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In most cases with standard US currency, it has to do with a combination of the penny, nickel, dime, or quarter’s unique history, a significant error, and the state of its quality.
Experts who review coins often use the Grading Standards from the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) to determine condition.
The scale, developed by numismatist Dr. William Sheldon in 1948, ranges from 1 through 70.
Those coins with a 70 grade are of the highest quality and in near-perfect shape, while a 1 would be barely recognizable.
The three dimes worth significant cash are all Mint State (MS) 66 or higher.
1919-S DIME
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Starting from oldest to youngest, a 1919-S dime graded MS66 was sold for $132,000 last year, per Heritage Auctions.
Dimes minted that year notably feature Lady Liberty instead of former President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who has been featured on the obverse (heads) side since 1946, after his death a year earlier.
Designed by Adolph Weinman, Liberty wears a winged Phrygian cap, and on the reverse (tails) side, there’s a fasces with an olive branch wrapped around it.
Fasces are a bundle of rods that represent law and government, and they’re actually what helped make the 1919 so valuable.
The particular 1919 dime that sold for over six figures had what’s called “full bands.”
Full bands refer to the bands that can be seen tied around the faces on the reverse side to hold the bands together.
The only way they can be determined as “full” is if there is a visible and distinct separation between each set of bands, where the central one is clearly visible.
Experts who evaluated the 1919-S that went at auction called the strike “nothing short of exceptional,” and the eye appeal was “simply marvelous.”
While it’s possible to find one of these dimes floating around, you’ll really have to look and verify the full bands to make it worth a lot.
Rare coins
You may be holding something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles on rare coins to see if you may have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
1942/1 DIME
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A special 1942 dime could also be worth thousands, as a version sold for $76,375 at auction in 2016.
Since it’s still pre-1946, there’s Lady Liberty on the front and the fasces and olive branch on the back.
Except, its value doesn’t reside in the full bands this time.
Along with a grading of MS66, experts noticed a minting error on the 1942 date on the obverse.
A “1” is visible just before the “2” in 1942.
It’s the result of what they believe to be a dime accidentally struck with a 1941 planchet and re-struck with a 1942 planchet.
So, if you’re looking around and spot this dime, look for a “1” and you could have a serious payday on your hands.
1975 NO ‘S’ DIME
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Lastly, a version of a 1975 dime with a special error could also be in your piggy bank.
It might be harder to find than the others, however, as only two examples have ever been located and sold.
In 2019, one of them went for $456,000 at auction.
What makes the dime so valuable is that it’s missing the “S” stamp that denotes the San Francisco Mint.
Proof coins, or coins that are supposed to be for collecting and not standard business use, were all struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1975.
That includes at least 2,845,450 proof dimes, all of which should’ve received the “S” stamp.
Except, there were also the standard dimes being struck at the same time with no mintmark that year to help the Philadelphia mint.
While most made it out with the correct marking, a few slipped through the cracks.
Americans should also remain aware of other coins worth thousands to millions.
For example, three Lincoln pennies worth up to $138,000 are still circulating.
A Liberty nickel could also be worth $4.5 million thanks to a “glittering” surface.