Ranking the 25 Most Valuable Roosevelt Dimes — And Why They’re Not Equal

Not all Roosevelt dimes climb the same ladder.

Some barely move.

Others redefine what a ten-cent coin can become.

Market valuation of Roosevelt dimes depends on a combination of mintage rarity, technical defects, and exceptional reverse preservation.

Confirmed results from Heritage and Stack's Bowers auction houses form the basis of this ranking.

Discrepancies in price between the ranked positions stem from the population density of grades within the PCGS and NGC registries.

The 25 Most Valuable Roosevelt Dimes Analysis covers both regular silver issues and specific minting errors.

Value Hierarchy: Top 25 Specimens

Below is the list of coins ranked by their record realization prices at public auctions.

Each entry includes a technical justification for the achieved value.

1. 1975-S No S Proof Roosevelt Dime

This specimen leads the list as the rarest coin of the series. Absence of the "S" mint mark on a Proof-quality coin makes it unique. Only two specimens are known to exist, both residing in private collections.

• Record Price: $456,000

• Grade: PR68

2. 1968 No S Proof Roosevelt Dime

First major error in Proof sets discovered by collectors. Missing "S" letter resulted from using a die that was not marked in Philadelphia before being shipped to San Francisco.

• Record Price: $48,875

• Grade: PR68

3. 1951-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

Specimens from this year rarely occur with fully struck horizontal torch bands. Combination of a high grade and the FB designation creates an extreme price gap.

• Record Price: $24,150

• Grade: MS68 FB

4. 1949-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

San Francisco Mint produced a 1949 mintage characterized by a weak reverse relief. Searching for a coin with crisp torch bands remains the primary strategy in this segment.

• Record Price: $21,850

• Grade: MS68 FB

5. 1950-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

Similarly to the 1949 issue, 1950-S coins suffer from die defects. Registries record an extremely low number of surviving specimens in MS68 condition.

• Record Price: $18,800

• Grade: MS68 FB

6. 1982 No Mint Mark (Strong Relief)

Regular issue minting error missing the "P" letter. Strong relief version occurs significantly less frequently than standard coins.

• Record Price: $15,275

• Grade: MS68

7. 1955-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

San Francisco ceased dime production for a long period after this year. Coins from bank bags typically possess numerous damages excluding the MS68 grade.

• Record Price: $13,800

• Grade: MS68 FB

8. 1948-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

Early issue characterized by high luster quality but poor execution of torch details.

• Record Price: $12,925

• Grade: MS68 FB

9. 1964-D Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

Final year of silver coin production for circulation. Massive mintage makes finding an MS68 FB specimen statistically improbable.

• Record Price: $11,750

• Grade: MS68 FB

10. 1949-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $10,575

• Grade: MS68 FB

11. 1946-D Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $10,200

• Grade: MS68+ FB

12. 1951-D Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $9,400

• Grade: MS68 FB

13. 1954-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $9,000

• Grade: MS68 FB

14. 1983-S No S Proof Roosevelt Dime

• Record Price: $8,500

• Grade: PR70 DCAM

15. 1960-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $7,200

• Grade: MS68 FB

16. 1953-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $6,900

• Grade: MS68 FB

17. 1947-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $6,325

• Grade: MS68 FB

18. 1952-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $5,800

• Grade: MS68 FB

19. 1946-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $5,280

• Grade: MS68 FB

20. 1952-S Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $4,935

• Grade: MS68 FB

21. 1996-W Roosevelt Dime

• Record Price: $4,320

• Grade: MS69 FB

22. 1963-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $3,800

• Grade: MS68 FB

23. 1957-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $3,525

• Grade: MS68 FB

24. 1961-D Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $3,290

• Grade: MS68 FB

25. 1962-P Roosevelt Dime (Full Bands)

• Record Price: $2,820

• Grade: MS68 FB

Comparison of Value Factors

Discrepancies in value among the specified coins are determined by several technical variables.

Ranking demonstrates that minting errors surpass even perfect regular issues in price.

Yield Analysis and Market Fluctuations

Statistics over the last ten years record heterogeneous changes in asset values within the ranking.

MS68 FB graded coins demonstrate an average annual growth of 7% provided no sudden influx of new specimens into registries occurs.

Upon discovery of a new group of coins in old hoards, the price of the grade drops by 15–20% within a year due to market saturation.

Price Dynamics Example: 1949-S MS68 FB

• Year 2010: $8,500

• Year 2015: $12,000

• Year 2021: $21,850

• Percentage change: +157% over 11 years

Technical Criteria for Full Bands Status

Separation of the torch bands is a critical condition for a coin to enter the upper part of the ranking.

Upper and lower pairs of horizontal bands must be completely separated across their entire length.

Presence of metal bridging the gap between bands automatically demotes the coin to a common specimen.

San Francisco strikes in the late 1940s are noted for using worn dies, making the discovery of Full Bands a rare technical occurrence.

Reverse Evaluation Markers

1. Clear separation line between the upper horizontal bands.

2. Clear separation line between the lower horizontal bands.

3. Absence of mechanical damage mimicking band separation.

4. Sharp definition of the vertical torch lines.

Role of Professional Grading in Ranking

Ranking is based exclusively on coins that have undergone certification by PCGS or NGC.

Market value of a coin drops by 70–90% without a plastic slab and a confirmed grade.

Buyers at auctions demand authenticity guarantees, especially for "No S" and "No Mint Mark" varieties.

Asset Verification Costs

• Base grading cost: $35

• Variety attribution fee: $20

• Insurance fee: 1-2% of declared value

Certification is justified only for coins possessing the potential for an MS67 FB grade or higher.

Factors Hindering Value Growth

A series of technical defects exist that exclude a coin from the investment ranking.

Even a rare year loses value upon the presence of certain signs of degradation.

Critical Defects

• Planchet Flaws: Defects in the planchet such as copper or nickel laminations.

• Environmental Damage: Signs of corrosion or toning caused by chemical exposure.

• Cleaning: Any attempts at mechanical or chemical cleaning of the surface.

• Strike Doubling: Machine doubling mistakenly identified as a rare Double Die.

List of Resources for Ranking Monitoring

• PCGS Population Report

• NGC Census Data

• Heritage Auctions Sales Archive

• Stack's Bowers Realized Prices

• Coin World Market Guide