A dime hanging around in your pocket can be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
At least, as long as the coin meets some special criteria, but it remains in circulation to this day.
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Some U.S. coins are considered incredibly rare and valuable for several reasons, and a specific copy of a 1968 dime sold for $45,600 at auction a few years ago, according to Heritage Auctions.
No regular dime was minted that year, however, this dime was a “proof” coin.
The coins are different from the commercial (or standard) coins you might get as cash payment for your morning coffee.
They are made through a special minting process and are of higher quality, specifically designed not to be used but to be collected as a long-term investment, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
Americans can also purchase proof sets for a few hundred dollars through the U.S. Mint, which includes all proof coins for the current year.
Mark is gone
Either way, the 1968 dime was a proof coin, which greatly increased its value, but it is also missing the “S” mintmark, which should indicate it was made at the San Francisco Mint.
A missing mint mark is generally unusual and can make a coin valuable, but there is more to it than that with the 1968 dime.
During that year, the San Francisco Mint only issued denomination dimes—the first time it had done so—and the vast majority of them bore the “S” mintmark.
In a brief incident, the “S” was not included in a small number of die pads used to make the coin, and only a few are expected to exist today, some in circulation and others already found, according to PCGS.
There are no documents confirming exactly how many were wrongly beaten either.
As a result, experts ranked the 1968 No S Roosevelt Proof Dime as the third greatest coin in U.S. history.
Almost perfect
Needless to say, it is highly sought after by collectors, especially with a PCGS rating of 69.
PCGS grading criteria range from 1 to 70, with 70 coins being considered absolutely excellent condition.
The dime is made of 75% copper and 25% nickel and features former President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the obverse side, with the distinctive torch, olive branch and oak branch on the obverse side.
Rare coins
Maybe you keep something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles about rare coins to see if you have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
The olive branch is said to symbolize peace, the flame of freedom, and the oak branch symbolizes strength and independence, according to the U.S. Mint.
Old but golden
A much older dime is worth more money, but it probably won't stay in your change dish.
A 1916-D dime has sold at auction for $152,750 in recent years.
Its value lies in the fact that it was minted in Denver, where only 264,000 dimes were produced that year compared to 22 million in Philadelphia and 10 million in San Francisco.
In addition, it had what is known as a “full bars” among numismatic experts on the reverse, which contained a bundle of bars with an ax wrapped in three sets of bars, along with an olive branch.
In the middle group of bands, there should be a clear division, which means that the bands are “full”.
Another rare proof coin also sold for $84,000 recently due to a special detail.
And the “cobalt blue” sheen on another incredibly old coin could make it worth about $205,625.
