The jingle of coins in my pocket rarely commands my attention anymore. Like most Americans, I’ve developed the habit of tossing spare change into jars, cup holders, or between couch cushions without a second glance.
But after a chance conversation with veteran coin dealer Tony Mendez at a local flea market last spring, I’ve never looked at my pocket change the same way again.
“Most people have no idea they might be handling retirement money when they break a dollar,” Mendez told me as he examined a tray of seemingly ordinary dimes and quarters. “I’ve had folks buy coffee with coins worth thousands.”
This revelation sent me down a rabbit hole of numismatic research, focusing specifically on two types of coins many Americans still encounter in circulation: rare dimes and those special Bicentennial quarters produced for America’s 200th birthday. What I discovered might make you think twice about that spare change.
Rare Dimes That Could Make You Rich
1. The 1916-D Mercury Dime: The Holy Grail
Value Range: $5,000 – $100,000+
The 1916-D Mercury dime sits atop many collectors’ wish lists for good reason. With only 264,000 minted at the Denver facility—comparatively minuscule against the millions produced at other mints that year—this dime represents the key date in the entire Mercury series.
“Most 1916-D dimes entered circulation before anyone realized their significance,” explained Sarah Jenkins, whose family has run a coin shop in Boston since 1962. “Those that survive often show considerable wear.”
Even heavily worn examples command prices exceeding $5,000, while pristine uncirculated specimens have fetched well over $100,000 at auction. Jenkins recounted a story of a construction worker who found one in his grandfather’s dresser drawer and used the proceeds to put a down payment on his first house.
The key identifier? Look for the small “D” mint mark on the reverse, just beneath the bundle of sticks known as fasces.
2. The 1942/1 Mercury Dime Overdate
Value Range: $3,000 – $75,000
Perhaps the most famous “mistake” in American dimes occurred when a die for 1942 was accidentally punched over a 1941 die. The result was an overdate error where traces of the “1” remain visible beneath the “2” in the date.
“It’s like catching the Mint with its pants down,” chuckled veteran collector Mike Hernandez, who showed me one through a loupe at a coin convention. “You can clearly see they tried to fix their mistake but couldn’t quite hide it.”
This error occurred at both Philadelphia (no mint mark) and Denver (D mint mark) facilities, with the Denver variety being significantly rarer and more valuable. Under magnification, the ghostly “1” underneath the “2” becomes apparent, creating what numismatists call a “dramatic overdate.”
3. The 1968 No-S Proof Dime
Value Range: $20,000 – $80,000
Proof coins are special specimens struck for collectors using polished dies and planchets. The San Francisco Mint has produced these coins for decades, marking them with an “S” mint mark. But in 1968, a small number of proof dimes escaped the facility without the crucial S mint mark.
“There are fewer than 25 authenticated examples,” said Robert Cohen, a third-generation coin dealer I interviewed by phone. “Finding one would be like winning a lottery where you didn’t even buy a ticket.”
These dimes would only be found in proof sets sold by the Mint that year, not in circulation. However, proof sets get broken up and coins sometimes enter circulation, meaning a miraculous pocket change discovery isn’t entirely impossible.
4. The 1975 No-S Proof Dime
Value Range: $50,000 – $500,000
Even rarer than its 1968 counterpart, the 1975 No-S proof dime represents the crown jewel of modern mint errors. Only two authenticated examples are known to exist, making this possibly the rarest dime ever produced in the modern era.
“One sold at a Heritage auction for nearly half a million dollars,” noted Elena Rodriguez, a numismatic historian. “The buyer wanted anonymity, but rumor has it they completed a collection of every major U.S. coin error with that purchase.”
The chances of finding this in circulation are virtually zero, but proof sets do get broken up, and coins sometimes get spent by non-collectors who inherit them. A keen eye checking proof dimes from 1975 might—though it’s astronomically unlikely—strike numismatic gold.
5. The 1982 No-P Roosevelt Dime
Value Range: $50 – $1,500
In a much more accessible price range but still significant, the 1982 dime from Philadelphia was produced without its mint mark due to a die preparation error. Unlike the proof errors mentioned above, these entered regular circulation.
“I’ve found three myself just by checking rolls from the bank,” said Jennifer Williams, a teacher from Cleveland who hunts coin errors as a hobby. “It’s one of those errors that’s rare enough to be valuable but common enough to be findable.”
Strong examples in uncirculated condition can sell for over $1,000, while circulated specimens regularly bring $50-300 depending on condition. The key is to check all 1982 dimes for the absence of a mint mark where it should appear near Roosevelt’s neck.
Bicentennial Quarters Worth Fortunes
1. The 1976 Bicentennial Quarter Double Die Obverse
Value Range: $40 – $400
The Bicentennial quarter, with its colonial drummer reverse design and dual dates of 1776-1976, was minted in enormous quantities. However, a variety exists showing significant doubling on the obverse (heads side), particularly visible in the words “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST.”
Frank Wilson, who manages a coin shop outside Philadelphia, showed me examples under strong magnification. “See how the letters look like they’re casting shadows? That’s the doubling effect from the die being impressed twice at slightly different positions.”
This error is subtle enough that countless examples likely remain in circulation, waiting for an observant finder. Value depends entirely on condition and the strength of the doubling.
2. The “No S” Silver Bicentennial Quarter Proof
Value Range: $15,000 – $40,000
Similar to the No-S dime errors, a small number of silver Bicentennial quarter proofs escaped the San Francisco Mint without their identifying “S” mint mark. These would only be found in special silver proof sets sold to collectors.
“Authentication is crucial here,” cautioned Douglas Freeman, a certification specialist I consulted. “People sometimes attempt to remove mint marks from regular quarters, but microscopic examination always reveals tooling marks from such alterations.”
Genuine examples show absolutely no evidence of an S mint mark ever being present, along with the mirror-like fields characteristic of proof coins. The 40% silver composition gives these a distinctive ring when dropped on a hard surface compared to standard copper-nickel quarters.
3. Bicentennial Quarter Struck on Silver Planchet
Value Range: $300 – $7,000
Regular Bicentennial quarters were struck for circulation on copper-nickel planchets, while a special collector version was produced using 40% silver composition. However, mint errors exist where regular circulation dies were used with silver planchets.
“They’re instantly recognizable by weight,” explained Marta Jimenez, who’s been collecting error coins for two decades. “A regular quarter weighs 5.67 grams, while the silver version weighs 5.75 grams. That small difference represents thousands in value.”
These wrong-planchet errors often show distinctive characteristics around the edge, where the silver composition is visible without the copper-nickel “sandwich” appearance of regular quarters.
4. Bicentennial Quarter Struck on Philippine Peso Planchet
Value Range: $3,000 – $10,000
In one of the strangest mint errors, some Bicentennial quarters were struck on planchets intended for Philippine peso coins, which the U.S. Mint was producing for the Philippine government during that period.
“These are immediately identifiable by their smaller diameter and different metal composition,” said Thomas Greene, an error coin specialist. “They’re also significantly lighter than a normal quarter.”
Such dramatic wrong-planchet errors occur when foreign coin blanks somehow mix with regular quarter planchets during production. Their dramatic visual difference from normal quarters makes them prized showpieces for error collectors.
5. Bicentennial Quarter with Major Off-Center Strike
Value Range: $100 – $2,500
When a planchet isn’t properly positioned between the dies during striking, an off-center coin results. Bicentennial quarters exist with strikes from 10% to 90% off-center.
“The sweet spot for value is about 50% off-center,” noted auction specialist Derek Thompson. “At that point, you still have a full date visible, but also a dramatic error that displays well.”
These errors show a portion of the coin struck normally, while another portion remains blank because it wasn’t between the dies during striking. Values increase with the percentage off-center, provided the date remains fully visible.
How to Check Your Change
After spending months researching these valuable coins, I’ve developed a routine for checking my pocket change that takes just seconds but could potentially yield life-changing discoveries:
Sort by denomination first – Separate dimes and quarters into their own piles
Check dates quickly – Pull out any Mercury dimes (pre-1945) and all Bicentennial quarters (1776-1976 date)
Use adequate lighting – Natural sunlight works best for spotting subtle errors
Keep a jeweler’s loupe handy – 5x to 10x magnification reveals details invisible to the naked eye
Never clean potentially valuable coins – Even gentle cleaning can reduce value by 50% or more
“The hardest part for most people is training themselves to actually look at their change,” remarked Carolyn Martinez, who teaches coin collecting merit badges to Scout troops. “We’re so conditioned to treat coins as essentially worthless that we miss potential treasures.”
Millionaire Dimes and Bicentennial Quarters : The Thrill of the Hunt
What struck me most during my research wasn’t just the potential financial windfall from finding rare coins. It was the passion of the collectors and hunters I met—people who check coin rolls from banks every week, who attend shows and swap meets, who experience genuine excitement each time they spot something unusual.
“It connects you to history in a tangible way,” explained 82-year-old Lewis Montgomery, who’s been collecting since the 1940s. “When I hold a Mercury dime, I’m touching something that might have been in the pocket of someone who fought in World War II or worked in a factory during the Depression.”
For many, the hunt itself provides entertainment value far exceeding the face value of the coins they examine. And occasionally, that entertainment comes with an extraordinary bonus—a coin worth hundreds or thousands of times its spending value.
So next time you receive change from a purchase, take a moment to really look at what you’re holding. That distinctive quarter with the drummer boy or that small silver dime might just be your ticket to an unexpected windfall. As veteran dealer Tony Mendez told me when we first met: “The best time to start checking your change was twenty years ago. The second best time is today.”