While the Roosevelt Dime may not be the rarest coin in U.S. history, it offers collectors numerous opportunities for discovering valuable pieces, from silver coins issued prior to 1965, to error coins and other Dimes worth money.
This highly rare coin, owned by an Ohio family for over 45 years, is one of only two known examples missing the “S” mint mark, a small but significant error that has turned it into a coveted item among collectors.
Silver dimes, like all 90% silver US coinage are sometimes referred to as “junk silver”. This is a common term adopted from the coin collecting industry for coins that have little to no numismatic value. Their value lies strictly in the silver content.
Until 1965, U.S. dimes were composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. However, because of rising silver prices, the U.S. Mint decided to continue debasement of coinage by changing the composition of dimes to a copper-nickel alloy, starting with the clad coin production in 1965. Today’s dimes are composed of 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel.
Online bullion dealers typically offer 90% silver dimes based on the face value that each contains. For example, a $5 Face Value standard bank roll of silver dimes will contain fifty individual pieces that were minted Pre-1965. Each circulated silver dime contains approximately .0715 troy ounces, with each standard $5 Bank Roll of silver dimes having a total of 3.575 troy ounces ASW.