The Rare Roosevelt Dime That Could Be Worth Hundreds– How To Spot It
Written by
Caitlyn Moorhead
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Amen Oyiboke
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Spotting rare coins is a lucrative hobby for some, but it takes patience and impeccable eyesight. There are millions of dollars floating around in this market, many of which may be undiscovered. So, if you can spot a dime, or at least a specific proof dime, you might be sitting on a fortune.
If you’re up for the hunt, keep your eyes peeled for this most unusual dime — along with many others.
Build Your Riches One Roosevelt Dime at a Time
Roosevelt dimes, made in the likeness of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was the 32nd president of the United States, are not all made equally. If you have any in your collection, you’ll want to be able to single out the ones worth more than ten pretty pennies. Here are some key takeaways:
- Most U.S. coins sport a mint mark — a P for the Philadelphia Mint, S for the San Francisco Mint, D for the Denver Mint, or W for the West Point Mint.
- According to PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) price guide editor Jaime Hernandez, only about 150,000 Roosevelt dimes were released in Philadelphia in 1982 without a mint mark.
- That means they’re missing this important letter that normally sits beside the year stamp. If you find a 1982 Roosevelt dime and examine the obverse, look to the area to the right of the date. Normally there will be a letter representing the mint mark. Should no letter be present, you may be in luck.
- PCGS listed evidence of most MS66 graded examples selling at around $300, and a 2022 sale of a NGC-graded (Numismatic Guaranty Company) MS67 for a princely sum of $630. For those curious, PCGS explained the grading process like this: “The numerical grades MS-60 through MS-70, used to denote a business strike coin that never has been in circulation. A Mint State coin can range from one that is covered with marks (MS-60) to a flawless example (MS-70).”
- The highest sale price on record is a MS68 specimen that sold in 2004 for $2,185 via Heritage Auctions.
Most of the 1982 No P dimes were initially discovered in or around Sandusky, Ohio, and some were handed out at the local Cedar Point Amusement Park as change. Walter Placzwkis, Andrew Macdonald and Lane Durkee are among the first people credited with finding the rare coins, per Hernandez.
A good number of 1982 No P Dimes are believed to still be in circulation to this day. Though some have sold for thousands of dollars, in all likelihood any current ones still in rotation would only be worth $100 to $300 — which still isn’t too bad for some spare change — so definitely worth getting it appraised.
Final Take To GO: Spotting Dimes
In this digital transaction age, it can be tough to come upon spare change, but that doesn’t mean you might not have some rare proof coins in your piggy bank (or tucked in your couch cushions, or stashed in a seasonal jacket you haven’t worn in a while). You may be in possession of one of these rare coins and not even know it.
And if you’re serious about hunting for these rare dimes, it’s smart to head to the bank and get rolls of coins. Coin roll hunting is a real thing — and many serious collectors engage in the practice.
Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting for this article.
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