5 Rare Dimes and a Bicentennial Quarter Worth $550 Million Each

That handful of coins jangling away in your pocket Rare may be concealing treasure worth hundreds, thousands, or even millions of dollars.

While most modern coins are still worth only their face value, certain dimes and quarters — a few specific Bicentennial quarters in particular — have, over time, become real numismatic rarities that command extraordinary premiums.

This inquiry looks into five of the most valuable dimes in America and a particular variety of Bicentennial Quarter which could be hiding in plain sight in coin jars, inherited collections, and even circulating all across the country.

The 1916-D Mercury Dime:

The Grand Prize of Mercury Dime Collecting

The 1916-D Mercury Dime is the absolute champion of collectible Mercury dimes. It represents the perfect convergence of desirability: first-year issue, very low mintage, and of course, high aesthetic appeal.

Minted at the Denver Mint during the first year of the Mercury Dime, only 264,000 coins were made before the shift in production to quarters took precedence due to a shortage.

This low mintage—by comparison with the millions struck at Philadelphia and San Francisco that year—instantly created a rarity, and as the series grew into one of America’s more actively collected, its desirability only increased.

The value of a 1916-D Mercury varies dramatically with condition:

• Heavily worn examples (G-4): $1,000-1,500
• Average circulated (F-12): $2,000-3,000
• Well-preserved but worn (XF-40): $5,000-7,000
• Mint State (MS-63): $15,000-20,000
• Gem quality (MS-65): $30,000-40,000
• Superb Gem (MS-67): $75,000+

At a Heritage auction in 2022, a particularly outstanding MS-67 Full Bands version was sold for $207,000, a phenomenal return on a coin that might purchase a mere ten cents worth of goods.

This coin is interesting in that it has survived circulation or unsearched collections in mintage at least on occasion.

The latest story from 2019 indicates that a collector from Wisconsin discovered a heavily worn example of the 1916-D in a jar of unsorted coins bought for $40 at an estate sale-a discovery valued at about $1,200 in spite of its lousy condition.

Checking for authenticity is paramount because unscrupulous dealers have at times applied “D” mint marks to otherwise common 1916 Philadelphia coins.

Authentic specimens have certain characteristics regarding mint mark position and size, which authentication services can verify.

The Overdate of 1942/1 Mercury Dime:

A Wartime Error
During the random days of production during wartime in 1942, Mint employees accidentally allowed one of the most valuable varieties of Mercury dimes to be made when they so used a die that had a partially punched 1941 date and punched over it a 1942 numeral.

Under magnification, the overdate is clearly visible with portions of the “1” of 1941 visible underneath the second numeral of the “2” of 1942.

Two distinct varieties exist:

• 1942/1 Philadelphia (no mint mark): The rarer and more valuable of the pair, bringing $500+ even in worn condition and $5,000-10,000 in uncirculated grades.
• 1942/1-D Denver: Slightly more common but still valuable at $300+ in worn condition and $3,000-7,000 uncirculated.

These overdates pique collectors’ interests since they show very literally the actual minting process with improvisations that had to be made between America’s production pressures during wartime.

With the Mint’s effort to squeeze every bit of efficiency from a production schedule stretched to its limit with wartime demands, error was created.

Under magnification, these overdates showcase very clear evidence of the underlying “1” digit, such as the upper loop of the “2.”

More important is authentication because wear or damage could even create the impression of overdates on normal 1942 coins.

Rarity of 1968 No-S Proof Roosevelt Dime

The 1968 No-S proof aluminum dime uncovers the rare price of shining modern diamonds.

What happened here was that for some reason, the San Francisco mint struck a small number of proof dimes using dies that did not have the “S” mint mark.

With fewer than twenty specimens confirmed, this coin becomes one of the rarest of the modern U.S. issues.

Recent sales have set values between $20,000 and $30,000, with specimens in especially fine condition possibly pegged even higher.

This coin is undoubtedly a rare article, and together with the first “No-S” proof, every time one comes to auction, the demand is almost guaranteed.

Perhaps what makes this coin so interesting is that it was originally issued in standard proof sets of just $5, making it extraordinary for the original purchasers to receive such a return on that small investment.

These proof sets spread all over the country, probably allowing undetected examples to remain in original government packages, unrecognized by their owners.

Authentication is especially important for this variety, as counterfeiters have tried to take the mintmark off common S-mint proof dimes.

Real examples show no sign of alteration and bear distinctive die characteristics that are able to be authenticated by seasoned professionals.

The 1975 No-S Proof Roosevelt Dime:

The Ultimate Modern Rarity
Another strike of lightning hit the San Francisco Mint in 1975, when yet another proof batch of dimes was made without the S mintmark.

Even rarer than the variety from 1968, there are only two verified specimens of the 1975 No-S proof dime.

The last known time it sold publicly was in 2019 when $456,000 was paid for one example at auction-an astonishing price for a modern-day Roosevelt dime.

Experts believe that the second specimen, if ever offered, could even exceed $500,000 on the market.

The valuation derives not only from extreme rarity but also from the recognition that this dime is the ‘king’ among the No-S proof series, or the rarest of the rare in modern U.S. coinage.

It then goes to show that even though the mint has brisk quality control, flaws will occasionally slip into the hands of collectors.

The two known specimens were found inside original government proof sets, leaving some tantalizing possibilities some more exist within unexamined proof sets from 1975.

That is a long-shot, nevertheless collectors continue to scrutinize proof sets from this era.

Rarity of Museum Quality:

The 1894-S Barber Dime

The 1894-S Barber is the most expensive dime ever sold in American numismatics; it represents the highest pinnacle of exceptionality to the dime collector.

With only 24 specimens struck and fewer than 10 confirmed to exist today, a perfect storm for the collector is presented: extreme rarity coupled with an interesting backstory.

According to the lore, Daggett ordered that 24 dimes were struck at the San Francisco Mint to balance its accounting by an even total of $2.40.

He was said to have given three coins to his daughter, Hallie, instructing her to keep them until she became old. Instead, the story goes that she spent one dime on ice cream, thus bringing about the apparition of the Ice Cream Specimen that today ranks among the most valuable in the land.

The 1894-S has been commanding millions whenever it comes onto the market (very rare occurrences perhaps once in every ten years). In 2016, a specimen that was rated PCGS PR-66 was auctioned for $1,997,500. It is believed that the present-day market price for the best specimens would be $2-3 million if ever sold in the market.

A legendary dime, this rounds off the extreme rarity of the American numismatic lexicon. Rare enough, even heavily circulated examples (if genuine) would command $50,000+.

The coin becomes the cornerstone of any collection, instantly elevating that collection into the premier class, while its auction appearances make international headlines.

A valuable bicentennial quarter:

1976 double die reverse

As America turned 200 in 1976, the U.S. Mint produced in excess of 1.7 billion quarters which featured Jack L. Ahr’s colonial drummer design on the back.

Most of these quarters might still bear face value, but one variety developed into a genuinely scarce and valuable item-the 1976 Double Die Reverse.

It is such an error that it manifests distinct doubling on the hands and drumsticks of the drummer boy and parts of the letters surrounding the central design.

Doubling would have been introduced during the die manufacture when the working die receives multiple impressions from the hub at slightly different positions. As a result, the image doubles on all coins subsequently struck from that die.

Values for this error vary based on condition and the strength of doubling:

• Circulated examples with strong doubling: $45-125
• Uncirculated with average doubling: $150-300
• Uncirculated with dramatic doubling: $300-600+

A 2021 specialized error coin auction showed a particularly well-preserved example with outstanding doubling selling for $1,175—a significant premium for a quarter that one might still find in circulation.

It is critical to authenticate it, as some instances of machine doubling (caused by a different event during the striking) tend to be mistaken for doubled dies of value.

In real doubled dies, the doubling may be seen together in more than one element of the design, whereas machine doubling often appears uneven and sloppy.

Compared to certain rarities that took decades to find, this doubled-die variety was found back comparatively quickly after the issuance of the Bicentennial quarters.

However, as it remains relatively obscure compared to the more famous doubled dies such as the 1955 Lincoln cent, there are times when examples far less recognized offer opportunities for discovery among knowledgeable collectors.

The Hunt: Finding These Treasures Today

What is conspicuously thrilling in these coins is their verifiable discovery.

Aside from the rarest of gold coins or very early coppers that disappeared long ago from circulation, there will still be valuable dimes and quarters popping up in places like:

1. Bank roll hunting: Obtaining rolls of dimes ($5) or quarters ($10) from banks and methodically examining each coin before returning unwanted specimens.
2. Inherited collections: Examining family accumulations, particularly those assembled before 1965 when silver circulated freely or during the bicentennial when many people saved commemorative quarters.
3. Estate sales: Purchasing unsorted coin collections where older coins might lurk unrecognized by sellers unfamiliar with numismatic rarities.
4. Dealer “junk boxes”: Exploring dealers’ discount bins where overlooked treasures occasionally hide among common coins.

Keep the hunt alive with success stories. In 2020, a Texas educator allegedly discovered an uncirculated 1942/1 Mercury dime while sifting through rolls obtained from a local bank and later sold it for $1,800 after professional certification-an 18,000% gain on a ten-cent investment.

Authentication: The Major Factor

Usually, the wide gulf in value of normal and rare dimes and quarters has become a breeding ground for a lot of sophisticated alterations as well as counterfeits.

Validating the coins through professional services like PCGS, NGC, ANACS, or ICG gives enormous protection against such deceptions.

The coins are authenticated through this service by employing specialized equipment-from Optical Microscopy for die variety identification, precision scales for weight verification, and X-ray fluorescence for compositional analysis for verification.

And their tamper-proof holders act as assurance for higher-value transactions that normally range from $20-50 per coin depending on declared value, which is worth the price when it comes to thousands or millions at stake.

Dimes and a Bicentennial Quarter: The Thrill of Discovery

Perhaps the most compelling aspect of searching for valuable dimes and quarters is the prospect of discovery.

Unlike many collectible categories where all significant items have been documented and cataloged, recent discoveries of valuable coin varieties keep emerging from unsearched sources.

Each roll of coins, inherited collection, or estate sale lot contains the possibility—however remote—of containing a numismatic treasure overlooked by previous handlers.

This everlasting possibility of discovery keeps collectors in pursuit of extraordinary coins amongst ordinary ones as very few are worth far more than their face value.

With hardly any really genuine treasure-hunting opportunities available nowadays, searching for the valuable dimes and quarters in pocket changes and accumulated coins remains an adventure within reach, along with serious potential for reward.

Regardless of whether one searches for profit, history, or the sheer thrill of the hunt, search for small treasures links contemporary Americans with America’s numismatic past and the ever-enticing thrill of discovering unvalued worth hidden in plain sight.

Take a close look at your change when getting it from your last purchase or give the dimes and quarters a second glimpse when going through a jar of coins long held; who knows? Might just hold a numismatic treasure right before your eyes.

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