Holding One of These Dime Entitles You to Almost $2 Million

Right now, check your rainy-day fund! You have won the lotto if any of these priceless dimes are in your coin jar. It isn’t a false alarm, sorry. Aoinweek and Blanchard & Co. reported that some incredibly precious and uncommon dimes might fetch as much as $2 million. CNN reported in 2016 that a rare coin sold for $1,997,500 to an unidentified bidder. A handful are also still in use so you could have one in your wallet or piggy bank right now. Granted, there are other quick money-making strategies without owning a rare coin, but this one is intriguing!

Why Are These Mysterious Dimes So Valuable?

The 1894-S Barber Dime is the name given to this particular dime. The dime is made in the US Barber currency. Alongside the 1804 dollar and the 1913 Liberty Head nickel, it is among the rarest and most valuable US coins for collectors. A 2005 sale brought in $1.3 million, and a 2007 sale brought in $1.9 million.

Out of the whole number of coins struck, only nine are known to have survived. All nine, like the full mintage, are proof coins, with two of them being severely damaged proofs. One of the latter was bought for $2.40 in 1957 after being discovered in a rubbish coin box at Gimbels Department Store. There is a rumor that in 1894, John Daggett, the superintendent of the San Francisco Mint, ordered the minting of 24 of these dimes. Daggett handed his small daughter three of them and instructed her to hold onto the money till she was older. But no sooner had he offered this counsel than she took one of the dimes and paid for a treat of ice cream.

The 1894-S dime is one of the most expensive coins made in the United States. The reason is its scarcity and the mystery surrounding its history. One of the last 1894-S dimes was purchased for $825,000 in the late 1990s. Ever since, their sales figures have been $1,035,000 in 2005, $1.3 million in the same year, and $1.9 million in 2007. During the Florida United Numismatists event on January 7, 2016, Heritage hosted an auction where the best-known sample, certified as Proof 66 by Professional Coin Grading Service and with a green Certified Acceptance Corp. mark, went for $1,997,500. A different coin brought $1,320,000 at an August 2019 auction held at Stacks Bowers Galleries in Chicago, Illinois.

There Are Still More Waiting To Be Found

Nine 1894-S Barber Dimes are still in existence today. Even though the most have been found, two are thought to be hiding in American pockets. See a coin appraiser immediately if you believe you may have one of these incredibly expensive, rare dimes rather than go to the bank. 

Lacking one of these distinctive coins? Remain calm. These other precious dimes, which are still worth hundreds of dollars, may be in your possession. In mint condition, the 1874 CC Seated Liberty Dime may be worth up to $115,000, while the 1872 CC Seated Liberty Dime may bring in up to $85,000, according to a Cointrackers report from 2019.