Huge payout expected for a rare coin bought by Ohio farm family and hidden for decades

Three sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value. But they had no idea just how much until just a few years ago.

Three sisters from Ohio who inherited a dime kept in a bank vault for more than 40 years knew it had some value. But they had no idea just how much until just a few years ago.

The extraordinarily rare coin, struck by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco in 1975, could bring in more than $500,000 at auction, said Ian Russell, president of GreatCollections, which specializes in currency and is handling an online auction that will end in October.

The sisters, who live on a farm in northwest Ohio, inherited the coin from their parents, Russell said. He declined to identify the sisters or say exactly where they live to protect their privacy.

The sisters knew the coin was valuable because their parents had told them so, but they didn’t know the full extent of its value until they had it appraised a few years ago by a local coin dealer, Russell said. The sisters then decided to sell the coin through GreatCollections.

The coin is an example of what’s known as a “no S dime.” In 1975, the U.S. Mint in San Francisco struck a small number of proof dimes by mistake without the mint’s letter S mintmark. Most proof coins are struck at least twice to give them a sharper impression and higher relief.

The no S dimes were struck only once, which makes them even rarer than the standard proof dimes, Russell said. Only about 10 examples of the no S dime are known to exist, he said.

The sisters’ coin is in a plastic holder and has a grade of Proof-66 by the Numismatic Guaranty Corp., which indicates that it is in excellent condition with very few signs of wear or handling.

The coin is expected to be one of the highlights of GreatCollections’ Baltimore Currency Signature Auction, which will take place from Sept. 24 to Oct. 1. The auction will feature more than 1,200 pieces of U.S. currency, including banknotes, coins, tokens and medals.

Bidders can participate in the auction online at GreatCollections.com or by phone.