The Hidden Dime Worth a Fortune
For more than 40 years, three sisters from Ohio stored a dime in a bank vault, unaware of its true value. The coin, a rare 1975 dime struck by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco, is now estimated to be worth over $500,000 according to Ian Russell, President of GreatCollections.
What sets this dime apart is the missing “S” mint mark, making it one of only two known to exist. The other dime sold for $456,000 at auction in 2019 and later went to a private collector.
While collectors were aware of these rare dimes, their whereabouts remained a mystery until just a few years ago. They were hidden for decades, with most major collectors and dealers never having seen one.
The San Francisco Mint produced over 2.8 million special uncirculated “proof” sets in 1975, each containing six coins and selling for $7. It was later discovered that two dimes in these sets were missing the mint mark.
The sisters inherited the dime after their brother’s recent passing and wish to remain anonymous. Their parents, who operated a dairy farm, bought the first error coin in 1978 for $18,200. Today, that would be equivalent to around $90,000.
Russell, who was entrusted with the secret of the rare coin, revealed its potential value to one of the sisters just a few years ago. Overwhelmed by the news, she asked, “is that really possible?”
The dime, known as the “1975 ‘no S’ proof dime,” will be showcased at a coin show in Tampa, Florida, before the auction concludes in late October. Although there may be more examples of this rare dime out there, they would only be found among the 1975 “proof” sets, not in common circulation.
Despite the rarity of this coin, Russell anticipates that its discovery will spark a wave of renewed interest and searching among collectors and enthusiasts.
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