While the weather getting colder brings forth many negative developments, like communicable disease, heating bills, and shorter days, one of autumn’s unmitigated delights is finding old cash that’s been lingering in your coat pockets for months on end.
An unexpected $10 or $20 bill can make anyone’s day – but recently three sisters in Ohio uncovered a humble dime in the back of a bank vault that likely made their entire year.
The trio inherited an exceptionally rare 1975 ten-cent piece from their brother that sold at GreatCollections auction house for a whopping $506,250. The coin is one of just two dimes struck in San Francisco that year, missing the “S” mint mark, indicating its provenance.
“The U.S. Mint produced 2.84 million proof sets in 1975 with the S mint mark, signifying they were minted at the San Francisco Mint,” the auction house said in a statement. “Only two sets have been discovered containing the dime without the S mint mark.”
The coin’s sale attracted international attention – with buyers from the U.S., Germany, Japan, and the U.K., expressing serious interest in purchasing the rare piece. Over 400 unique bidders were tracking the auction, according to Ian Russell, the president of GreatCollections.
Chicago dealer F.J. Vollmer & Co purchased both of the flawed dimes in 1978, before selling them to the Ohio family, who wished to remain anonymous, in the same year. The family purchased the coin as an investment for $18,200, but the dime was concealed in the vault for decades, its whereabouts a mystery to the numismatic world.
“This is the Grail of modern coins, one that is missing from the Smithsonian, ANS and ANA institutional collections,” said Russell. “After spirited bidding, it was ultimately won by a long-time client of ours who appreciates rarities that infrequently appear on the market. His goal is for his family to own it for the next 46 years, similar to the seller’s family who consigned it to GreatCollections.”