The last circulating silver dimes are dated 1964, and the United States Mint began striking copper-nickel clad dimes in 1965. However, it should be noted that the United States Mint began issuing 90% silver dimes again in 1992 for collectors only. These more recent silver dimes were sold only in proof sets and other special mint products. Mercury dimes are very popular ten-cent pieces produced by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1945. This dime is composed of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. The coin contains a total of just over.072 troy ounces of silver. The Mercury Dime is also commonly referred to as the Winged Liberty Head Dime and was designed by Adolph Weinman. OLD US SILVER DIMES COINS WHEAT PENNY LINCOLN CENT BANK ROLL VINTAGE SET. Free shipping = 1916-S AU/BU MERCURY Dime, Nice BANDS, FREE Shipping. 1942 Birth Year Coin Set (5) Coins - Silver Half dollar, Silver Quarter, Silver Dime, Nickel, and Cent All Dated 1942 and Encased in Plastic Display Case Very Good 4.1 out of 5 stars 6 $45.95 $ 45. Although the United States Mint began making the Roosevelt dime from copper-nickel clad in 1965, some of the 90% silver dime planchets intended for striking 1964 dimes were stamped by the 1965 dies. And the rest, as they say, is numismatic history.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Know More About the1965Dime, an Error Dime
The Roosevelt Dime is the latest dime variation in circulation today. It has been so since 1946.
The Roosevelt dime was created to honor Unites States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. He died in 1945, and a year after a dime featuring his face was minted in commemoration. It is still the one being minted up to this day.
It replaced the Winged Liberty Head or the Mercury Dime. The design of the very first Roosevelt Dime was by a United States Mint employee, Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock. It was the first coin designed by a Mint employee in over four decades, due to the lack of time to commission the design to another designer.
The Coinage Act of 1965
This Act changed the composition of the ten-cent dime from the 90% silver, 10% copper combination into a “clad sandwich”, where the entire coin is made up of pure copper and is plated with 75% copper and 25% nickel alloy.
As soon as the new dimes were released for circulation, silver dimes minted prior to 1965 were slowly removed from circulation, although up to this day there may be one or two silver dimes that will be given to you as change, and these silver dimes are what coin collectors are after. Their value has skyrocketed since being removed from circulation.
The 1965 Silver Dime
There is a certain 1965 dime that has been in every coin collector’s mind, and rightly so because its value of in the thousands of dollars. You may ask how could a ten-cent dime be worth thousands? It was already mentioned that the production of the silver dimes was halted in 1964, so a silver 1965 dime is very rare. It is also an error coin. So if you find one you should hold on to it and analyze how you can get the most out of the coin in terms of its selling value. There were only very few silver dimes ever found, but numismatists are optimistic that there are still more out there waiting to be discovered and appraised. There are two ways you can tell if the 1965 dime in your possession is made from silver or from cupronickel alloy:
Look at the edge of the coin. If it has a silver edge, it is a silver dime. If it has a brown strip on the coin’s edge, it is a cupronickel dime.
The silver dime is heavier by 23 grams. It weighs 2.50 grams compared to the cupronickel dime, which only weighs 2.27 grams.
The most expensive silver dime was worth a whopping $9,000! So if you have a rare silver dime in your possession, you can start assessing its value. What do you know, the one you have may be worth more than $9,000.
Coin Grading Hacks
If you are new at coin collecting – not just silver dimes but all kinds of US coins, you need to have a guide on how coins are graded and valued. There are grading books and price guides you can consult for your rare coin collection. Here are just some of them that will be of great help.
- The Red Book: A Guide to United States Coins has been in publication since 1947, and is the longest running price guide in the US. It is very thorough in discussing coin pricing that it is considered the pricing bible. You will learn in the book the retail values of all US coins, bullion coins, other coin issues, as well as related information regarding US coins.
- The Greysheet: Coin Dealer Newspaper is issued weekly, so it has the most up-to-date coin grading guidelines. This book is suitable for both coin dealers and collectors as it features all kinds of US coins and how they are graded weekly.
- The US Coin Digest: This has prices for eleven coin grades, and is another thorough coin pricing guide much like The Red Book.
- Coin Values: This is a monthly guide on coin prices. It indicates the retail values of coins, compared to the Greysheet that only shows the wholesale value.
If you see a rare dime, or any coin for that matter, that is different from the rest, do not toss it out yet and think that it is not worth anything. It may just be the opposite: it may be worth a lot of money if you sell it at auction.
Sources:
All dimes produced in the United States prior to 1965 are made of 90% silver. Sometimes these coins are referred to as 'junk silver' in the industry.
Additionally, every year since 1992, proof Roosevelt dimes issued by the U.S. Mint in special Silver Proof Sets have likewise been struck from .900 fine silver.
The key features to look for will be discussed below.
Which Dimes Are Silver?
If your dime bears an image of Lady Liberty, it's almost certainly made of silver. This includes both Seated Liberty (minted 1837–1891) and Barber dimes (minted 1892–1916).
It's highly unlikely you will find one of these old dimes in your pocket change, however.
You may be fortunate enough to come across a Mercury dime (minted 1916–1945). The image is actually Lady Liberty wearing a winged cap, but it has long been mistaken for the Roman god, Mercury. The nickname endures.
Silver Dimes Price Guide
1943-D Mercury Dime obverse
Your best bet is to simply check the date on the front (obverse) of the coin.
Some of the older dimes that use the familiar Franklin D. Roosevelt design still in use today will also be 90% silver.
Judging whether or not a modern proof dime is made of silver can be tricky. You will have to consult a numismatist or bullion dealer that can test the coin for silver, because there's no other way to tell without damaging the coin.
Value of Silver Dimes
Silver Dimes Years
What is a silver dime worth?
You can always calculate the melt value of your silver dime by multiplying its actual silver weight, 0.07234 troy ounce, by the current spot price of silver.
At the time of publishing, the melt value of a common-date dime is roughly $1.30. That's 1,300% higher than its face value of 10¢! 'Junk silver' indeed.
This can certainly add up if you have a jar or bag filled with dimes. You'll get the most reliable valuation by showing your coins to a reputable coin dealer.