These are the top dime deals in the world. I have carefully selected them based on their rarity, grade, and value.
They are all extremely valuable and worth more than any other dime.
Most Desired Dimes in the World:
1894 S PR 66 BM Barber Dime
This rare and valuable coin is one of only 24 1894 San Francisco mint-issued silver dimes designed by Charles E. Barber.
Round and reeded, this piece measures 0.70472 inches in diameter and weighs 0.08038 troy ounces (2.50 g) (17.90 mm).
Given that only nine examples of this dime exist, its asking price of $1,997,500 is not unreasonable, given the coin’s rarity and high demand.
In 2016, this stunning piece sold at Heritage Auctions for a staggering price to a single collector.
1873 CC MS 65 No Arrows Liberty Seated Dime
The diameter of a Liberty sitting dime is 0.70472 inches (17.90 mm), and the weight of a troy ounce of these beautifully designed coins is 0.07973 ounces (2.48 g).
This year, 12,400 coins without arrows were struck by the Carson City mint, but they were quickly melted.
However, we now know that only one coin survived. One collector set aside $1,840,000 to buy it at a Stack’s Bowers auction in 2012 due to its pristine condition, stunning aesthetics, and rarified status.
1792 MS 68 Bust Half Dime (Disme)
1,500 Philadelphia dimes from 1792 were struck using the same dies, but no one knows who created them.
These coins weighed 1.35 grams (or 0.04340 troy ounces), had a diameter of 0.68898 inches, and had a silver-to-copper ratio of 89.2%. (17.50 mm).
Only about 250 are thought to be alive today, according to experts. In 2013, a certified, finely toned 1792 Half Disme sold for an unbelievable $1,145,625.
Only one item in mint state (MS 68) is now known to exist.
1796 MS 67 Draped Bust Dime
Within its first four years of operation, the Philadelphia Mint struck 22,135 Draped bust dimes with a tiny eagle on the reverse.
Roughly 1,000 made it, and their condition-specific values range from $2,487 to $45,550.
However, a collector paid $881,250 at Heritage Auctions in 2014 to acquire the specimen in flawless condition.
As a result, this coin, which features exceptionally crisp details, is among the most sought-after in the whole dime series.
Experts typically label this type of strike as a Specimen Strike because flaws are not visible on the planchet.
1843 O Liberty Seated Dime
The New Orleans Mint took a respite in 1843 and only struck 150,000 Dimes, down from 1842’s record-breaking output of over 2 million.
This was an omen of things to come, as New Orleans’s output of dimes remained low or stopped altogether for many years throughout the 1840s.
The 1843-O dime is one of the most sought coins in the world because of its low mintage.
1804 14 Stars AU 58 CAC Draped Bust Dime
With Robert Scot’s design in mind, the Philadelphia Mint produced 8,265 silver Draped bust dimes.
Interestingly, they were available in two designs, one with 13 stars and the other with 14 stars over a heraldic eagle.
About 20 coins with 14 stars and 75 with 13 stars are thought to be in circulation today.
The diameter of both types is 0.77953 inches (19.80 mm), and their weight is 0.08681 troy ounces. The rims are reeded (2.70 g).
Although their market values range from $2,523 to $96,512 as of this writing, a single exceptionally well-preserved item just set a new auction record.
This piece of art was sold at auction in 2008 for $632,500 to a collector.
1873 CC MS 65 Arrows Liberty Seated Dime
There were 18,791 Liberty Head dimes minted in Carson City that year, and today each is worth between $3,080 and $72,443.
Condition and type have a major role in determining their respective values.
A Liberty sitting dime from 1873 that did not feature arrows sold at auction for $1,840,000, whereas a coin with arrows brought in a much lower price.
The $552,000 it sold for at Heritage Auctions in 2022 makes it the most expensive item.
1872 CC 63 Liberty Seated Dime
In 1872, 35,480 silver Liberty Seated dimes were struck at the Carson City mint. Good condition pieces cost as little as $481, while highly graded coins can go for as much as $119,850.
However, in 2022, one collector paid $480,000 for it at auction, setting a new record.
Why? Because of its stunning hue, polished surfaces, satiny feel, pristine condition, and high quality. This dime is the only known mint-state example of its mintage year.
1840 O Liberty Seated Dime
Even though it was produced in large quantities, the 1840 O dime is now considered unusual in all but the highest grades, with true Mint State examples extremely uncommon.
There are numerous instances where the strike is weak. The NGC Price Guide estimates a circulated 1840 O NO Seated Liberty Dime to be worth between $20 and $3225 as of January 2023.
But 1840 O NO DRAPERY Dimes in perfect, the uncirculated condition can fetch as much as $5000 on the open market.
1975 No S PR 68 Roosevelt Dime
For the most part, proofs were struck in Philadelphia, but not this year. This batch of dimes was struck in the San Francisco mint.
The original owner discovered that two of the five 1975 Roosevelt dime proof sets he had purchased were missing the S mint mark.
The 1975-S Roosevelt Dimes are unique, even though the average value of the 2,845,450 proofs struck at the San Francisco mint that year is only about $2.81.
In 2019, one sold for an unbelievable $456,000 at Heritage Auctions despite being constructed of copper and nickel rather than precious metals.
1822 PR 66 Cameo Capped Bust Dime
The value of a typical 1822 Philadelphia mint-proof Capped bust dime ranges from $1,317 to $28,651.
These coins are 0.08681 troy ounces (2.70 g) in weight, with a diameter of 0.74803 inches (19 mm), and contain 89.2% silver and 10.8% copper.
In 2018, only two to five CAM Capped bust dime proofs were minted, according to experts. In 2014, Heritage Auctions received $440,625 for one that featured an entire strike, stunning iridescent coloring, and superb detailing.
1797 13 Stars MS 65 Draped Bust Dime
There is a tiny eagle and 13 stars on the back of the Robert Scot-designed Draped bust dime.
25,261 normal striking pieces containing 89.2% silver and added copper were struck at the Philadelphia mint in 1797.
However, how many of the pieces featured thirteen or more stars is unknown.
The prices range from $3,162 to $89,808 for the remaining pieces, with the most valuable coin featuring 13 stars selling at auction in 2008 for $402,500.
1938 S MS 68+ FB Mercury Dime
In 1916, Adolph Alexander Weinman created the silver Mercury dime with a diameter of 0.70472 inches (17.90 mm) and a weight of 0.08038 troy ounces (2.50 g).
With a total mintage of 8,090,00nd 1938, San Francisco issues are quite affordable.
You can acquire one for as little as $1.78 and as much as $45.
At a Legend’s auction in 2019, however, a collector was willing to pay an astounding $364,250 for a perfectly preserved and highly graded cent.
It’s well worth the price because you won’t find a better specimen of this dime anywhere.
1838 O Liberty Seated Dime
On April 9, two sets of dime dies were sent from the Philadelphia Mint to the New Orleans Mint. However, they did not reach their destination until May 3.
Four days later, the first dimes were minted, but these 30 had already been set aside as show pieces. Early the next year, a new set of dies was used to strike a few thousand additional coins.
None of the obverses dies used to strike coins from the Philadelphia Mint’s 1838 production run included stars.
Collectors of both the type and the date/mint condition find this issue appealing.
As of January 2023, the NGC Price Guide estimates a circulated 1838 Seated Liberty Dime worth between $70 and $2300. Uncirculated 1838 O dimes can fetch as high as $33,000 on the open market.
1800 MS 66 Draped Bust Dime
In 1796, Robert Scot created the design for this stunning silver coin, minted by the Philadelphia Mint around the turn of the 20th century. Their typical price is between $847 to $46,012.
However, some uncirculated examples might be worth much more due to their pristine condition.
In 2014, a fully maintained example of a dime featuring a heraldic eagle on the reverse sold at auction for a staggering $352,500 to Heritage Auctions.
According to experts, fewer than a hundred pieces remain in private collections.
1803 MS 64 Draped Bust Dime
Around the close of the 18th century, Robert Scot designed beautiful Draped bust dimes.
The price of Draped Bust dimes, which have a heraldic eagle on the reverse and are the shortest-running series in US coinage, ranges from $909 to $72,416, depending on condition.
A total of 33,040 Philadelphia dimes were struck in 1803, but only a small number still exist in such good condition 200 years later.
One collector purchased this most famous 1803 Draped bust cent for an astounding $322,000 in 2008, setting an auction record.
1871 CC MS 65 Liberty Seated Dime
Robert Scot designed the elegant Draped bust dimes at the close of the 18th century. Dimes with a draped bust and a heraldic eagle on the reverse are among the rarest and most valuable US coins due to their small production run and high demand.
Prices range from $909 to $72,416. There were 33,040 Philadelphia dimes minted in 1803, but only extremely high-grade examples have survived to the present day.
In 2008, a collector paid a then-record $322,000 for the finest known example of the 1803 Draped bust dime.
1860 O Liberty Seated Dime
The 1860 O Liberty Seated Dime is a key date and a scarce coin; it is one of the most desirable due to its low mintage and high value.
The coin’s popularity stems from the fact that it was minted between 1858 and 1860, so any examples you find will be rare.
1931 S MS 67+ FB Mercury Dime
Adolph Alexander Weinman designed this stunning silver coin. Among the over two million
Mercury dimes struck by the San Francisco mint in 1931, only one is a flawless MS 67+, making it the rarest.
As a result, the 2019 auction price for this coin with Full Bands was $270,250.
Outstanding strike, ultrasmooth fields, and a dazzling mint frost characterize this rare example.
The price of lower-quality components can range from $3.94 to $343.
1874 CC MS 63 Arrows Liberty Seated Dime
According to experts, the mint state population of Liberty sitting dimes from 1874 is estimated at only six coins.
Most of the 10,817 silver coins the Carson City mint struck have been worn away or lost over time.
Heritage Auctions sold it in 2021 for $264,000 to a collector who wanted to add this rare arrowhead to their collection.
You should expect to pay anywhere from $5,126 to $72,443 for one of the lower-grade coins created this year.
1798 MS 66 Draped Bust Dime with Small 8
In 1798, the Philadelphia Mint struck 27,550 Draped bust dimes after a design by Robert Scot.
Nowadays, a single one of these silver pieces can cost anywhere from $909 to $45,550, depending on its condition.
However, other mistake parts might be considerably more costly.
The 1798 Draped Bust dime with the heraldic eagle reverse is just one example of a coin type that occasionally features a variant with a little 8 in the date.
The eagle is holding a branch with four berries on it.
In 2008, a collector paid $253,000 for a coin graded MS66, making it the highest-selling item at auction.
Before you go…
I hope you found this compilation of the most sought-after dimes useful. Please see my other lists of coins if you haven’t already (including quarters, halves, and dollars). Those who know where and how to seek can find many rare and valuable coins.
Check out my next article: “6 Types of Coin Collections You Can Collect!“
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