The 1968 Roosevelt Dime: What's Your Coin Really Worth?

The 1968 No S Proof is the defining error of the entire modern Roosevelt dime series. It occurred when at least one proof die was prepared at the Philadelphia Mint and shipped to San Francisco without the required "S" mintmark punch — a catastrophic oversight made possible by the chaotic transition of mintmark placement from reverse to obverse in 1968. The San Francisco Mint struck a small number of proof coins using this unmarked die before the error was caught.

Authentication demands proof-quality surfaces — both deeply mirrored fields and frosted devices — combined with a field above the date that is completely blank. There must be no ghost of an "S," no faint trace of metal disturbance, and no evidence of a removed mintmark. The coin's razor-sharp design details, fully separated hair strands, and die-polished fields immediately distinguish it from a circulated Philadelphia business strike with no mint mark.

PCGS has certified only 18 examples since 1986: 12 as brilliant proofs and 6 as Cameo proofs. No Deep Cameo has ever been graded, and PCGS notes that a genuine DCAM example would rank among the finest modern U.S. rarities. The coin appears on the PCGS Top 100 Modern Coins list and in Scott Schechter and Jeff Garrett's 100 Greatest Modern Coins as entry #3, confirming its place in the numismatic canon. The rarity rating is R-9.5 — fewer than two dozen known across all grades.

Two major Doubled Die Reverse varieties exist for 1968-S proof dimes — both catalogued in the Cherrypickers' Guide as FS-801 and FS-802. Both errors stem from misaligned multiple hub impressions during reverse die production at the Philadelphia die shop before the dies were shipped to San Francisco. The hub was applied more than once at a slightly different angle, leaving a secondary ghosted impression on the working die.

FS-801 concentrates its doubling primarily in the rim lettering — "ONE DIME," "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," and "E PLURIBUS UNUM" — where notched letter edges are most prominent. FS-802 shows more pronounced separation in the central design elements: the torch flame and botanical features (olive branch and oak leaves). Both require examination under a 10× to 20× loupe; the proof mirror surfaces actually make the doubling easier to see than on business strikes because the shadowing effect is enhanced by the reflective fields.

Values for FS-801 reach $30–$100 in circulated proof grades and $150–$400 in mint state, while FS-802 is slightly less valuable at $20–$60 circulated and $75–$250 uncirculated. The proof coin's mirror surfaces make genuine hub doubling unmistakable — it shows clean, fully separated impressions rather than the mushy blurring of die deterioration doubling, which has no collector premium.

The 1968-D/S Repunched Mint Mark variety (FS-501) is one of the more intriguing cherrypicking targets in the entire Roosevelt series. In 1968, mintmarks were still manually punched into individual working dies at the Philadelphia Mint before shipment. The theory behind this variety is that a die originally prepared for San Francisco proof production — already bearing an "S" — was mistakenly repunched with a "D" and sent to Denver for business strike use instead. The result: a "D" sitting atop the remnants of an "S."

Under 15× to 20× magnification, portions of the underlying "S" are visible beneath the primary "D" mint mark, particularly the curved lower arm of the "S." The secondary impression may appear as a partial arc or hook shape below and to the side of the dominant letter. This is a true doubled/over mintmark, not mere die wear or a random scrape in the die field. The diagnostic feature is the curved "S" element visible when the coin is tilted under raking light.

The premium for FS-501 is modest but reliable — circulated examples sell for $5–$40, with uncirculated specimens reaching $40–$200 depending on grade and the clarity of the secondary impression. This variety is a classic cherrypicker's target because it is undervalued in typical coin dealer inventories and can occasionally be found raw in estate lots or dealer junk boxes at face value. Certification by PCGS or NGC confirms the attribution.

Denver Mint dimes from 1968 occasionally display Doubled Die Obverse errors caused by misaligned hub impressions during die manufacturing. The doubling appears on the inscriptions "LIBERTY" — positioned to the left of Roosevelt's portrait — and "IN GOD WE TRUST" directly below Roosevelt's chin. This error occurred when the working die received a secondary hub impression at a slightly rotated or shifted angle, producing a ghosted shadow alongside the primary lettering.

The visual signature under a 10× loupe is a shadow-like "notched" appearance on the affected letters — particularly visible on the letters "L," "I," "B," and "E" in LIBERTY. This is distinct from die deterioration doubling, which shows a mushy blurring with no clean separation. Genuine hub doubling on a DDO shows crisp, fully separated impressions. Unlike proof varieties, these Denver business strikes circulated freely, so most examples show wear that reduces the doubling's visual impact.

Values range from $15–$50 for minor circulated examples to $75–$200 for well-preserved uncirculated specimens with strong, visible doubling. Strong-strike examples where both the doubling and Full Bands designation coincide are the rarest and most desirable cross-variety combinations. Collectors specializing in Roosevelt dime die varieties actively seek this issue, and certified examples command reliable premiums over raw coins.

Off-center strike errors occur when a planchet is not properly positioned between the dies at the moment of striking, causing the design to be impressed off-center and leaving a characteristic blank crescent on the opposite side of the coin. These errors occur across all three 1968 mint varieties — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — and are the result of mechanical feed failures at the press, not intentional production variations.

The percentage of off-center displacement determines value. Minor 5–10% off-center examples show a small blank area at one rim and sell for $10–$25. More dramatic 25–50% off-center pieces with the full date still visible command $50–$200 from error coin specialists. The most dramatic survivors — those struck 75% or more off-center with the date still legible — can reach $300–$500 or more because they represent a highly visible minting failure while still being dateable to 1968. The date must be visible to command a full premium; undatable off-center errors are worth significantly less.

True off-center strikes are distinguished from post-mint damage by their crisp design edges where die contact occurred and smooth blank areas where the die did not touch. Misshapen or damaged edges, uneven surfaces, and tool marks indicate post-mint alterations rather than a mint error. Dramatic, large off-center examples are among the most visually striking Roosevelt dime errors a collector can display, drawing consistent buyer interest at coin shows and online auctions alike.