They’re small. They weigh next to nothing. A single silver dime contains just 0.0723 troy ounces of silver — and at first glance, it doesn’t feel like much. But scale changes everything. A roll of 50 dimes holds 3.615 troy ounces of silver. A $1,000 face value bag of silver dimes — 10,000 coins — contains approximately 715 troy ounces of silver. At current prices, that’s serious money.
Buyers of New York, operating since 1993 at 30 W. 47th Street, Suite 8006 in Manhattan’s Diamond District near Rockefeller Center, buys all pre-1964 silver dimes — Mercury Dimes, Roosevelt Dimes, Barber Dimes — at live spot-based pricing with full numismatic assessment on key dates. Cash paid same day.
Which Dimes Are Silver?
Only dimes minted in 1964 and earlier contain silver. Here is the breakdown by series:
- Barber Dime (1892–1916) — 90% silver. Designed by Charles E. Barber. Most dates are worth melt plus a modest premium, but key dates (1894-S, 1895-O, 1896-S) command extraordinary collector premiums.
- Mercury Dime (1916–1945) — 90% silver. Designed by Adolph Weinman, the same artist behind the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. The “Mercury” nickname comes from a misidentification — the figure on the obverse is actually Liberty wearing a winged cap.
- Roosevelt Dime (1946–1964) — 90% silver. Honors President Franklin D. Roosevelt, introduced shortly after his death. All silver Roosevelt dimes contain the same 0.0723 oz of silver as Mercury Dimes.
- Roosevelt Dime (1965–present) — Copper-nickel clad. Zero silver content.
Mercury Dime Key Dates — Never Sell These for Melt
The Mercury Dime series has one of the most dramatic key dates in all of American numismatics. If you have any of the following, get a proper assessment before accepting any offer:
- 1916-D — The king of Mercury Dimes. Only 264,000 were struck at the Denver Mint, making it one of the rarest regular-issue 20th-century US coins. A heavily worn example in Good-4 condition can sell for $800–$1,200. Fine examples routinely sell for $2,000–$5,000. Uncirculated examples are worth exponentially more. This is a coin that gets melted by accident — don’t let it happen.
- 1921 and 1921-D — Low mintage issues from a transition year. Semi-key dates worth meaningful premiums above melt in any grade.
- 1931-D and 1931-S — Depression-era low mintage coins with strong collector followings.
- Full Split Bands — On Mercury Dimes, the horizontal bands on the fasces being fully separated indicates exceptional striking quality. A Full Split Bands (FSB) designation from PCGS or NGC can multiply the value of a coin many times over its non-FSB equivalent.
Barber Dime Key Dates
The rarest Barber Dime — the 1894-S — is legendary. Only 24 are known to exist. If you find one, you’ve found something worth well into six figures. More practically, common Barber Dimes in circulated grades are worth melt plus a small premium. We assess every Barber Dime individually.
How We Price Silver Dimes
Standard circulated dimes in mixed dates: 90% × silver spot × 0.0723 oz per coin × our payout percentage. We identify key dates individually and assess numismatic value above melt. We show you the live spot price and the full calculation before you accept anything. No mystery, no guesswork.
For PCGS or NGC certified dimes, we reference current registry population and recent auction comparables for that specific coin in that specific grade.
Bring Your Silver Dimes to the Diamond District
Rolls, bags, loose coins, inherited collections — bring everything. Buyers of New York at 30 W. 47th Street, Suite 8006. One block from Rockefeller Center. Elevator to the 8th floor. Monday through Friday, 10am to 6pm. Walk-ins always welcome. Cash in hand the same day.