SOME Americans could have a dime sitting among their spare change worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The rare coin features a unique error that makes its value skyrocket.
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Those eager to look at the money they have lying around should first ensure they find dimes only from the year 1916.
They might be challenging to find, as not many should remain in circulation, but some seem to find their way through the cracks.
Dimes from 1916 were made of mercury, which continued with the United States Mint until 1945, per Numismatic News.
Mercury dimes were designed by Adolph A. Weinman and notably featured Lady Liberty in a winged cap on its obverse side before former President Franklin D. Roosevelt was added in 1946.
On the reverse side, mercury dimes feature the ancient Roman symbol of authority known as a fasces, surrounded by an olive branch to symbolize peace.
While several mercury dimes are rare and valuable for several reasons, none is considered more so than the 1916-D with full bands.
The D refers to Denver, one of the locations where the dime was minted — the others being Philadelphia, San Francisco, and West Point.
Dimes minted in Denver in 1916 are particularly special because workers stopped producing them at one point to focus solely on quarters, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
Only around 246,000 were produced, a significantly lower number compared to the other mints.
CRUCIAL QUALITIES
Full bands refer to the fasces on the reverse side of the dime, where a band in the middle of it shows a “complete split,” per the PCGS.
Two other aspects of the 1916-D coin would increase its value and rarity even more.
First would be its quality, which can be verified by the PCGS on its rating scale of one to 70.
The second would involve the “rims” of the coin, which surround and define both the obverse and reverse sides of the coin.
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A clear line should encompass the coin near the edges on both sides.
While finding a 1916 dime meeting all the requirements is challenging, it’s also very lucrative.
Someone who managed to locate a 1916-D Mercury Dime Full Bands and complete rimming with a PCGS grading of 61 sold it through Heritage Auctions earlier this month for $20,400.
Several dimes with errors from other years are worth even more.
PERFECT TEN
A 40-year-old Roosevelt dime found by a group of siblings was worth $500,000 because of a missing mark.
Their family had passed it down after purchasing it for $18,200 and letting it grow in value for financial security.
It’s one of the most valuable dimes known to coin collectors.
Another mercury dime from 1919 with a similar “full bands” feature to the 1916-D version is also worth $218,500.
Someone recently even managed to find a pile of 1,500 dimes with missing marks valued at $1,000 each.
A dime dug up in a field by a farmer this spring was also valued at $46,000.
