Your coin can be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on its history.
The value and rarity are also greatly increased if other details are included.
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It can be very difficult to find an American coin worth that much money, but some are still in circulation today.
Needless to say, it's worth taking a second look at your spare change for some old dates on pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters.
If you're looking through dimes and find one dated 1916, put it down and take a closer look.
A specific copy of the 1916 dime sold for $152,750 a few years ago, according to Heritage Auctions.
The crucial difference between the dime should be immediately visible: instead of having the 32nd President Franklin D. Roosevelt on the other side (heads) of the coin, it will instead depict “Lady Liberty.”
Liberty in particular wears a “hat with wings to represent freedom of thought,” according to the U.S. Mint.
This specific version of the dime was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, a German-born American sculptor, and is known as the “Mercury” dime because it reminded some of the Roman god of the same name.
The U.S. Mint first produced the dime in 1916 until 1945, when it was replaced by the Roosevelt version.
Location is key
To add even more value, check if your 1916 dime has a “D” inscription, as it indicates that it was manufactured at the Denver Mint.
While Philadelphia and San Francisco mints produced more than 22 million and 10 million dimes in 1916, respectively, Denver produced only about 264,000 dimes, according to the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS).
This is because, according to historians, officials prevented employees from doing so and focused their attention on the quarters instead.
Although these factors alone make it unique to own, the Lady Liberty on the front and the Denver Mint engraving are not the vital, rare details to look for that make it worth the big bucks.
You will also need to turn the 1916-D dime onto its back side, where there will be decks, which are effectively a bundle of bars with an ax wrapped in three sets of straps, along with an olive branch.
Weinman specifically created this design to symbolize peace and strength.
Rare coins
Maybe you keep something valuable in your wallet. Check out these articles on rare coins to see if you have a treasure hidden deep in your pockets.
Gang reward
Only the highest quality 1916-D dimes will have a clear split in the middle of the three ranges, also known as the “full ranges” to connoisseurs.
If you can check the full ranges, it is an incredibly valuable coin, and is the exact type of 1916 dime that sold for over $152,000.
A dime at this price has also been given an MS67 grade.
MS stands for “Mint State,” and the numbered scale ranges from 1 to 70, meaning an MS67 would be a coin in nearly perfect condition, according to the American Numismatic Association.
Several other types of dimes from different years can also be worth some extra cash.
For example, a 1919 copy can fetch about $218,500 with details similar to the 1916 copy.
The unique detail on the front of the 1983 dime could make it worth about $8,225.
