Greatest Modern Rarity: 1975 No S Proof Dime To Be Auctioned By Greatcollections

The world’s most valuable modern coin, the 1975 No S Proof Dime, will be auctioned by GreatCollections on Sunday, October 27th. It is the first of only two coins discovered and has been owned by one Ohio family since being acquired over 45 years ago.

The rarity has been authenticated by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and graded PCGS Proof-67. It has also been approved by Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC). The 1975 No S Proof Dime is routinely ranked by numismatic professionals and collectors as the #1 modern issue of the United States, including the 100 Greatest U.S. Modern Coins book by Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett.

In 1978, the Ohio collector and his mother purchased the coin from well-known Chicago dealer F.J. Vollmer & Co, Inc. for $18,200. The second coin was also sold by Vollmer a year later, but for $38,550.

“Our client purchased this coin in 1978 and correctly predicted the rarity and future interest in No S Proofs. It was the centerpiece of his collection and we are very excited to bring this coin to auction for the very first time,” said Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections.

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. Only two sets have been discovered containing the dime without the S mint mark. The same person discovered both sets in California, and sold them to Vollmer in 1978 and 1979.

The only other known example has appeared twice in auction, once in 2011 when it realized $349,600 and again in 2019, when it realized $456,000. Within days of the 2019 auction, it was purchased for $516,000 by the owner of the only complete collection of Roosevelt Dimes ever formed.

The 1975 No S Dime will be on display at the Great American Coin & Collectibles Show in Tampa (September 11-14).  It is also available to view by appointment at the GreatCollections Irvine office. To view more information and high quality images, please visit www.greatcollections.com or telephone 1-800-442-6467.