Rare 1975 dime valued at $456,000 could be hiding in your wallet — here’s what you should look for

People with old coins may want to check their collection as a rare dime could fetch them over half a million dollars. The 1975 "No-S" Proof Roosevelt dime is a rare item that collectors are looking to splurge on. Back in 2019, one such coin sold for $456,000, and a recently discovered second coin is expected to fetch more than that. As of today, only these two are known to carry a rare anomaly, as per Fox9. Thus, finding a third one could make someone luckier than a Powerball jackpot winner.

History of the No-S Proof Roosevelt Dime

As the name suggests the "No-S" dime is missing the letter S which signifies it was struck at the San Francisco mint. According to a listing on Great Collections, about six "No S" Proof dimes that lacked the mint mark were mistakenly released by the U.S. Mint in 1968. These were then used to strike proof coins.

Only two of those dimes have been discovered, one of which sold in 2011. The coin, graded by Professional Coin Grading Service as Proof 68, went for $349,600 and it came up for auction again in 2019, where it fetched $456,000. Five days later, the buyer sold it for $516,000 to a Roosevelt dime collector, as per Coin World. 

The Most Recent Find

Earlier this month, three sisters from Ohio revealed the second rare dime in their possession. As per Fox, they inherited the dime which was kept in a bank vault for over 40 years. Dubbed the Ruth E discovery coin, the rare item is now up for auction via GreatCollections.

Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections, told the news outlet that most major collectors have never seen such a coin as it is so rare. The online auction that ends in October has so far fetched the highest bid of $280,000. However, Russel estimates that by closing, the bids could go over $500,000.  

The current owners of the coin inherited the item after the recent death of their brother. They shared with Russell that the coin was originally bought by their brother and mother in 1978 for $18,200 or roughly $90,000 in today's money. 

How to identify the 1975 No-S Proof Roosevelt Dime?

Finding one in a Proof Set would take an incredible amount of luck given that nobody knows if a third coin exists. However, to properly identify a 1975 No S Roosevelt Dime, one must look for some obvious marks and signs. 

CoinWeek notes that the original Proof coins should have relatively no wear and tear compared to normal coins as they weren't meant to go into circulation. They would also contain maximum detail as they were struck using a special method.

Furthermore, Modern Proof issues struck after 1968 would be typically sold in Proof Sets and housed in rugged plastic cases. The coin should also have the obvious anomaly of the missing letter "S" to be as valuable as the two coins that have been found so far. Since there are millions of Roosevelt Dimes in circulation, CoinWorld has cautioned collectors against opportunistic sellers who are presenting common coins as valuable items.