Written by the TreasureGuide for the exclusive use of treasurebeachesreport.blogspot.com.
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| Reverse of 2018 Dime. |
Did you know that a modern clad Roosevelt dime can be worth tens or even hundreds of dollars even if it doesn't have some rare mint error? I didn't.
I was looking through the latest issue of Coin and Currency Market Review and noticed some pretty good prices listed for modern clad coins, including Roosevelt dimes. That is something I don't think most detectorist know about. They simply throw their clad finds in their pocket and spend them without looking for coins that could be valuable.
Some coins are minted with errors, such as the double die error coins. Error coins can be worth a premium - sometimes a large premium, but there are modern clad coins that can be valuable even without any rare errors.
A coin die will be used to stamp many coins. Dies wear as they are used. That means that the first coins struck with a new die will tend to show a clearer image. Coins struck later will be less clear.
Here is an image of a dime showing the results of a lot of die deterioration.
Notice the lines radiating out from the center and how the letters are spread out. That is the result of an old worn die.
The dime has a very rough surface. Other than some error coins, coin collectors prefer coins with a surface that is near perfect - unlike this one.
You probably know something about coin grading, so I won't get into that.
What I noticed is that in the most recent Coin and Currency Market Review, for Roosevelt dimes they have an additional category beside the regular coin grading categories. That category is Full Bands.
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| Dime Showing Die Deterioration. |
That is not corrosion, damage or wear from circulation.
The dime has a very rough surface. Other than some error coins, coin collectors prefer coins with a surface that is near perfect - unlike this one.
You probably know something about coin grading, so I won't get into that.
What I noticed is that in the most recent Coin and Currency Market Review, for Roosevelt dimes they have an additional category beside the regular coin grading categories. That category is Full Bands.
As you know, Roosevelt dimes show a torch on the reverse. The torch has two pairs of horizontal bands. One at the top and another towards the bottom (See top photo.). Full Bands means that each band in both pairs is completely clear and separate.
Roosevelt dimes showing "full bands" are more highly valued. For example, a Full Bands 1992-D dime in MS66 condition is listed as being worth $21. Some recent dimes without errors or anything special like that, if they are in excellent condition are worth much more. Condition is extremely important.
A regular circulation issue modern coin in exceptional condition can be worth a good amount - even hundreds of dollars. A 1993-D Full Bands dime in MS66 condition is listed as being worth $416, for example.
See https://www.pcgs.com/News/Mercury-Dimes-With-Full-Bands for additional explanation.
Another similar designation is Full Torch. That designation considers the vertical bands as well as the horizontal bands.
There is a good article in the March 19, 2018 issue of Coin World entitled In Search of Full Torches. If you want to learn more about his topic, that would be a good start.
The article describes why there are very few Full Torch examples for certain years due to hubs and dies becoming worn. Since they are rare, they are also valuable.
Some guys do quite well getting rolls of coins at the bank and picking out the more valuable coins. Of course, you have to be able to recognize the coins that are more valuable.
You won't find tons of valuable modern coins in your detector finds. Most coin finds are not in great condition, but you can find an occasional nice example that is worth a premium. If you find coins with your metal detector, you might as well learn something about how to identify those that might be valuable.
If you detect in the water, you will find fewer coins in good condition, but if you detect on land you can find more coins in nice condition, and a few in excellent condition. I've found a few that grade very well.
In recent years I've learned to take a good look at modern coins as well as old coins. Modern coins can be valuable too. Too bad I didn't learn that years ago. Maybe this blog will help you avoid some of the mistakes I've made.
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I had a dream last night that I was at the beach but my metal detector batteries were dead. Seems like it was my subconscious mind reminding me to recharge my batteries. I haven't done that for quite a while.
I've been meaning to talk about search patterns, but didn't get it done yet.
Another cool front moved through, but it didn't create much surf. We are still having some decent tides.
It looks like we will be getting north winds for a few days, but nothing higher than a three to five foot surf.
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| Source: MagicSeaWeed.com |
Let me know if you find out anymore about the Inca funerary mask find that I reported yesterday.
Happy hunting,
TreasureGuide@comcast.net
