Have you ever had someone tell you (probably when you were first starting out in coin collecting) that every little coin counts? That’s right, according to these dubious sources, even a ten cent dime could be worth a fortune. Then of course, you discovered that the majority of dimes out there are junk coins and not even made from real silver. Do not lose hope, however. There are still some rare dimes out there and they do have collectable value.
First and foremost, we have silver dimes, which precede the date of 1964. These silver content dimes are actually worth $1 now because of silver’s asking price and their weight. Some dimes actually precede the 19th century and go as far back as 1796.
Bust Dimes (Draped Bus, Small or Heraldic Eagle Reverse) were silver dimes issued in the late 18th century. They were created to be smaller than dimes and thus considered “half dimes.” By the time nickels came along in the latter 19th century, Bust Half Dimes were discontinued. Today, these dimes are worth a minimum of $21.
Barber Dimes are worth a minimum of $2 and have their own unique history. These “Liberty Head” Dimes were released between the years of 1892 to 1916. They had the same miniaturized images as quarters and half dollars of the same era. From 1916 and onward, these coins were replaced by Mercury Dimes. Mercury Dimes are one of the most popular collectables today and depict Lady Liberty wearing a winged cap. No, she’s not a baseball fan but stands as a metaphor for freedom of thought. Because of its similarity to the Roman God Mercury, the coin is named like so.
Silver Roosevelt Dimes are worth about $1 and were made between the years of 1946-1964. Finally, there is Seated Liberty Dimes, which show Liberty sitting on a rock, wearing a dress and holding a staff with a liberty cap on top. Seated Liberty Half Dimes contain 90% silver content and 10% copper.
There are still some valuable dimes worth collecting out there, and they are definitely worth ten cents of effort to look for.
