Any US dime dated 1964 or earlier is 90 percent silver and worth approximately $2.90 for its metal, with silver assumed at $40 per troy ounce. That covers Roosevelt dimes from 1946 to 1964, Mercury dimes from 1916 to 1945 and Barber dimes from 1892 to 1916. Dimes from 1965 onward are copper-nickel clad and worth ten cents, with a short list of exceptions: proof dimes missing their S mint mark from 1968, 1970, 1975 and 1983, the 1982 dime without a P, and a few other errors. Among older dimes, the 1916-D Mercury and a handful of Barber dates are worth hundreds to thousands, and the 1894-S Barber is one of the great rarities of American coinage. Most silver dimes, though, are worth their silver and a little more.
Quick answer
- Dimes dated 1964 or earlier are 90 percent silver, about $2.90 each at $40 silver.
- Dimes from 1965 on are worth ten cents unless they are a known error or variety.
- The big ones: 1916-D Mercury, 1942/1 overdate, 1982 no-P, and no-S proofs of 1968, 1970, 1975 and 1983.
How to check yours, step by step
A 5x or 10x loupe, good light and a scale reading to 0.01 gram cover everything here.
- Read the date. On Roosevelt dimes it is on the obverse, at the lower right below the chin. On Mercury dimes it is at the lower right behind the neck. On Barber dimes it is below the bust.
- Look at the edge. A silver dime has a solid silver-colored edge. A clad dime from 1965 onward shows a copper stripe between two nickel layers. This works even on worn coins.
- Find the mint mark. On Roosevelt dimes from 1946 to 1964 it is on the reverse, at the left base of the torch. From 1968 onward it is on the obverse above the date. On Mercury dimes it is on the reverse, left of the base of the fasces. On Barber dimes it is on the reverse, below the wreath.
- On a 1982 dime, confirm the P is present. All Philadelphia dimes from 1980 onward should carry a P above the date. A 1982 with nothing there is the no-P error.
- On any proof dime from 1968, 1970, 1975 or 1983, check for the S. Proof dimes have mirror fields and came in proof sets from San Francisco. One with no S above the date is one of the famous no-S proofs.
- Look for doubling and overdates. On a 1942 Mercury dime, look at the 2 for the outline of a 1 underneath. That is the 1942/1 overdate, and there is a version from Denver too.
- Judge the strike and condition. On uncirculated Mercury dimes, look at the bands across the fasces on the reverse. On uncirculated Roosevelt dimes, look at the horizontal lines across the torch. Fully separated bands raise the value considerably.
Silver dimes and the melt math
Every 90 percent silver dime weighs 2.50 grams and holds 0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver. A clad dime weighs about 2.27 grams. The table assumes silver at $40. To recalculate at another price, multiply 0.07234 by the spot price.
| Silver price | One silver dime | Roll of 50 | $1 face value (10 dimes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30 | About $2.17 | About $108 | About $21.70 |
| $40 | About $2.89 | About $145 | About $28.90 |
| $50 | About $3.62 | About $181 | About $36.20 |
Dealers price silver coins by "face value," so $1 face of dimes, ten coins, holds 0.7234 oz of silver. That is the same as $1 face of silver quarters or halves, which makes mixed silver easy to price. The silver quarters guide uses the same math. Dealers usually pay a little under melt for worn common dates and close to melt for nicer coins.
The weight test is useful for any doubtful coin. A 1964 dime that weighs 2.27 grams is a misread date or an altered coin. A 1965 dime that weighs 2.50 grams is a transitional error struck on a leftover silver blank, worth thousands.
Dimes worth more than silver
These approximate values assume original coins with no damage or cleaning.
| Coin | What to look for | Circulated | Uncirculated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt silver, common dates 1946-1964 | Silver edge | $2.90-3.50 | $4-8 |
| 1949-S Roosevelt | Lowest silver Roosevelt mintage | $5-10 | $30-60 |
| 1955, 1955-D, 1955-S | Lower mintages, often set aside | $3-5 | $6-15 |
| 1965 dime on a silver blank | Weighs 2.50 g, no copper edge | $3,000-8,000+ | More |
| 1968 proof, no S | Missing S on a proof | Not applicable | $10,000-25,000 |
| 1970 proof, no S | Missing S on a proof | Not applicable | $700-1,500 |
| 1975 proof, no S | Two known | Not applicable | Six figures |
| 1982 no P | Philadelphia dime missing its mint mark | $50-150 | $150-400 |
| 1983 proof, no S | Missing S on a proof | Not applicable | $600-1,200 |
| 1996-W | Only in 1996 mint sets | Not applicable | $10-25 |
| Clad dimes from change, any date | Copper edge | 10 cents | 10-50 cents |
The 1955 trio is often described as the scarce Roosevelt dates, and they do have the lowest mintages of the 1950s. But they were saved in quantity from the start, so they carry only small premiums. The 1949-S is a better find in worn condition.
The no-S proofs
Every proof dime from 1968 onward was struck in San Francisco and should carry an S. On a few occasions, a die without the S was sent to the proof presses and a small number of coins reached the public in proof sets. The 1968 and 1970 no-S dimes are known in modest numbers. The 1983 is similar. The 1975 no-S dime is the extreme case: only two are known, and each has sold for six figures. Check the S on every 1975 proof dime in a family's proof sets, but expect to find it there. The proof sets guide explains how to read and value the sets these come from.
The 1982 no-P
In 1982, a die at the Philadelphia Mint was used without its P, and an estimated several thousand to ten thousand dimes went into circulation, mostly around Ohio. Two versions exist, a strong strike and a weaker one, and the strong strike sells for more. Look closely above the date. A dime from 1980 onward with no mint mark at all should be a 1982. Any other date with a missing mark is usually a filled die or wear, worth face value.
Mercury and Barber dimes
Mercury dimes are collected in every condition, and even common dates sell a little above silver. The Mercury dime guide covers them date by date.
| Coin | Typical circulated value |
|---|---|
| Mercury, common date 1934-1945 | $3-5 |
| Mercury, common date 1916-1933 | $4-10 |
| 1916-D Mercury | $900-1,500 in Good |
| 1921 and 1921-D Mercury | $60-150 in Good |
| 1942/1 overdate, Philadelphia | $400-800 |
| 1942/1-D overdate | $400-900 |
| Barber dime, common date | $3-8 |
| 1895-O Barber | $300-600 |
| 1896-S, 1897-O, 1901-S, 1903-S Barber | $100-400 |
| 1894-S Barber | Seven figures, only about 24 struck |
| Seated Liberty dime, common date, 1837-1891 | $15-30 |
Barber dimes are named for Charles Barber, the Chief Engraver who designed them, and are usually found well worn, with LIBERTY on the headband partly or completely gone. Condition is judged by how many letters of LIBERTY remain. Mercury dimes show Liberty in a winged cap, which led the public to confuse her with the god Mercury, and the name stuck.
Full Bands and Full Torch
On the reverse of a Mercury dime, the fasces, a bundle of rods, is tied with horizontal bands. When the central bands are fully struck and clearly split, the coin is called Full Bands, or FB. On Roosevelt dimes, the matching feature is the horizontal lines across the torch, called Full Torch, or FT. These designations only apply to uncirculated coins, and they can multiply the value of a common date many times over, from a few dollars to tens or hundreds. For worn dimes, they do not matter.
Searching rolls of dimes
Silver dimes still turn up in bank rolls, roughly one in a few hundred to a few thousand coins, and the edge is the fastest way to find them. Stand a roll's worth of dimes on edge in a tray, or fan them out, and look for any edge without the copper stripe. Then check the dates of the silver ones for the list above. While sorting the clad dimes, look above the date for a missing P on any 1982 and keep any coin that looks uncirculated with full torch lines. Everything else goes back to the bank.
Common mistakes
- Assuming a dime is silver because it is old. Check the date and the edge. Every 1965 and later circulating dime is clad.
- Calling every proof dime a no-S. Hold the coin at an angle under good light. A faint S still counts as an S.
- Mistaking a worn or filled mint mark for an error. Only the 1982 is a known no-P dime.
- Cleaning silver dimes. It removes toning and luster and leaves hairlines that collectors see at once.
- Treating the 1955 trio as rare. They carry only small premiums. Silver value plus a little is the honest number.
- Ignoring Mercury dates and mint marks. A worn 1916-D looks like any other Mercury dime and is worth hundreds of times more.
What to photograph
Use daylight, no flash, and keep the phone flat above the coin.
- The obverse straight on, with the date readable.
- The reverse straight on, with the mint mark area visible.
- A close-up of the mint mark area, or the space where it should be, on any 1982 or proof dime.
- The edge, to show silver or a copper stripe.
- The bands on the fasces or torch for uncirculated coins.
- Proof set packaging, including the outer box and the date on the holder.
When to get it looked at in person
- A local coin dealer can sort a jar of dimes by edge in minutes and will buy silver dimes by face value against spot.
- PCGS or NGC grading costs from about $20-60 per coin, plus shipping and fees. It makes sense for any no-S proof, the 1982 no-P, a 1965 on silver, the 1916-D, the 1942/1 overdates, Barber keys, and uncirculated dimes that may have Full Bands or Full Torch.
- An auction house suits the 1968 and 1975 no-S proofs, the 1894-S and other major rarities.
The error coins guide covers other mint errors and how to tell them from damage, and the what quarters are worth money guide covers the next denomination up.