Rare Coin Up for Auction: Dime Estimated to Sell for Over $500K

Owners of U.S. dimes (10-cent coins) should check their pockets and piggy banks, because a rare $0.10 coin is expected to sell for more than half a million dollars by the end of October, and can be seen in person this week in Tampa, Florida.

This 1975 dime is missing the letter “S” which symbolizes that it was minted at the San Francisco Mint. It was discovered by a California coin collector who purchased five 1975 proof sets from the U.S. Mint.

According to the coin’s auction listing, six “No S” proof dimes have been accidentally issued by the U.S. Mint since 1968. These six times, the dies were sent to San Francisco without a mint mark but were still used to produce proof coins.

The years in which No S proof dimes were made are 1968, 1970, 1971, 1975, 1983, and 1990. While there are about two to three dozen No-S proof dimes known from 1968, hundreds are known for 1970, 1971, 1983, and 1990.

But for 1975, only two No-S proof dimes are currently known.

One of those coins was discovered in 1977 by California coin collector Fred Vollmer, who purchased five 1975 proof sets from the U.S. Mint. The next year, Coinworld published an article on the 1975 No S Proof dimes, causing coin collectors and dealers to rush to check out the coins they had.

Volmer offered the coin to collectors who had purchased No S Proof coins before him, and one of those buyers was Ruth E., who had purchased a 1968 No S dime from Vollmer’s company.

Ruth E. was the first to notice the coin and eventually purchased a 1975 No S Proof dime and kept it for decades. The coin is being offered for sale by the GreatCollections Certified Coin and Coin Fund for the first time since 1978.

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Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections Auctions LLC, told Fox News Digital that what makes this coin so rare is that all 2.8 million dimes minted in 1975 from the San Francisco Mint had to have a small “S” on the top. But 45 years ago two coins were discovered without this “S.”

“Both of these coins were discovered in proof sets — that’s the main thing. They were never issued in the normal coins that are usually found in change,” Russell said. “The proof sets were sold by the U.S. Mint in 1975 and sent to people all over the country. Even now, many of the proof sets exist in sealed boxes.”

How many coins actually exist is still unknown.

“If you have old proof sets at home — maybe your grandfather or father ordered them and forgot about them. If you have a 1975 one, check out the Dime,” Russell said. As of Tuesday night, bidding on the Ruth E. Dime had reached $266,000, with 47 days to go until the auction ends.

Read Also: “Rare Bicentennial Quarter Worth $350,000 and Other Valuable Quarters Exceeding $10 Million”

Russell says he expects this Dime to sell for over $500,000.

“The currency market is strong and there has been a lot of interest in crypto since we went public a few days ago,” he said.

If one is interested in seeing this uncommon dime, one can visit here or go to the Tampa Convention Center in Florida this Wednesday through Friday for the Great American Coin and Collectibles Show. Visit for additional details

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