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Ohio sisters inherit dime with an obvious mistake that could be worth $500,000

This undated image provided by GreatCollections shows a 1975 proof set dime mistakenly made without the San Francisco Mintâs letter S mintmark. (GreatCollections via AP)

Three Ohio sisters who inherited an incredibly rare ten-cent piece that was kept hidden by their family for over four decades could make over $500,000 after it was revealed the coin is incredibly rare.

The dime, struck by the U.S. Mint in San Francisco in 1975, is so valuable because it is just one of two dimes missing an “S” mark for San Francisco, according to Ian Russell, president of Great Collections, which specializes in currency and is handling the coin’s online auction.

While many serious coin collectors have known about the two rare dimes for years, their whereabouts have remained a mystery.

“They were hidden for decades,” Russell said. “Most major collectors and dealers have never seen one.”

The other rare coin with the missing “S” mint mark sold at a 2019 auction for $456,000 and then again months later to a private collector.

The mint in San Francisco made more than 2.8 million special uncirculated “proof” sets in 1975 featuring six coins that were sold for $7 apiece. However, a few years later collectors learned that two dimes from the set were missing the mint mark, making them extremely rare.

The sisters from Ohio inherited one of the two dimes after the recent death of a brother, who bought the coin with his mother in 1978 for $18,200, which would be about $90,000 today.

Their parents, who operated a dairy farm, saw the valuable coin as a financial safety net, Russell said.

One of the sisters told Russell that her brother often talked about the coin, but she never saw it until last year.

Russell, whose company is based out of Irvine, California, had been in contact with their brother years ago and saw the value in it.

Now, the coin will be on display at a coin show in Tampa beginning on Wednesday, before an auction on it closes in October, Russell said.

With Post wires.

With Post wires.

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