1928 Dime Value (2026 Guide): Errors List, ā€œDā€, ā€œSā€ & No Mint Mark Worth

1928 Dime

If you’ve come across a small silver coin from nearly a century ago, you might be holding a 1928 Mercury Dime — and it could be worth quite a bit more than ten cents. Mercury dimes are composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, giving every surviving coin a baseline bullion value tied to the silver market. But for collectors, the real story goes well beyond melt value.

The Mercury dime — more formally known as the Winged Liberty Head dime — was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and was in production from 1916 through 1945. The 1928 issue is a particularly interesting year to study, because three different mint facilities struck dimes that year, each with its own mintage and rarity profile.

Depending on which version you have and what condition it’s in, 1928 Mercury Dime value can range from around $4–$8 in well-worn “Good” grade all the way up to $736 or more for a Denver-minted coin in top Mint State condition. The 1928-D and 1928-S Mercury dimes are relatively scarce in the upper grades, and most especially in uncirculated condition — which is exactly why understanding type and grade matters so much before you buy or sell. This guide walks you through everything you need to know.

 

1928 Dime Value By Variety

The chart below breaks down 1928 Mercury Dime values across all three mint varieties — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — in both standard and Full Bands (FB) grades, from heavily worn circulated examples up through top Mint State condition.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

1928 Dime Value Chart

TYPEGOODFINEAUMSPR
1928 No Mint Mark Dime Value$4.85$7.00$17.00$123.33—
1928 No Mint Mark Dime (FB) Value$4.19$14.36$36.76$507.29—
1928 D Dime Value$8.39$55.33$155.00$736.67—
1928 D Dime (FB) Value$20.63$70.63$180.84$2136.67—
1928 S Dime Value$7.02$21.17$96.00$405.00—
1928 S Dime (FB) Value$39.64$135.72$347.52$3734.29—
Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

Also Read: Top 70+ Most Valuable Mercury Dimes Worth Money (Chart By Year)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1928 Dime Worth Money

Most Valuable 1928 Dime Chart

2001 - Present

The chart above records the top auction results for 1928 Mercury Dimes from 2001 to the present, covering sales across all three mint issues in their highest-certified grades. The data reveals a clear pattern: Full Bands (FB) designation is the dominant price driver across all varieties, consistently outpacing standard Mint State grades by a wide margin.

The FB designation requires complete horizontal lines in the crossbands of the fasces on the reverse — a detail that many 1928 branch-mint coins failed to achieve due to weak striking pressure at the time of production. This structural production limitation, rather than post-mint wear, is what makes high-grade FB examples so scarce today.

The 1928-S FB 67 holds the top position on the chart, and its auction record reflects that scarcity directly. The 1928-S had a total mintage of 7,400,000, which sounds substantial, but Full Bands specimens become considerably scarce at MS66 and above — meaning the population of coins eligible for the top grades is extremely small. The gap between the 1928-S FB 67 and the next entry, the 1928-D FB 67, is significant in dollar terms, pointing to a difference in population and collector demand between the two mint facilities at that grade level.

The presence of both MS and FB entries for the Denver mint at multiple grade points also indicates that the 1928-D is better documented through the grading system, likely due to stronger collector interest and more submissions over time. From a market standpoint, auction results for top-pop coins can push values to record highs, causing price fluctuations that standard retail estimates do not capture — which is why the figures here represent historical sale events, not guaranteed current market values. For any coin appearing in this range, professional grading certification and timing of sale are both material factors in the final realized price.

 

History of the 1928 Dime

The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from late 1916 to 1945. Officially known as the Winged Liberty Head dime, it gained its common name because the obverse depiction of a young Liberty, identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap, was confused with the Roman god Mercury. The coin came into existence as part of a broader effort to modernize American coinage. By 1916, the dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber had been struck for 25 years and could be replaced by the Treasury without Congressional authorization.

A design competition was held, and sculptor Adolph A. Weinman was selected. Weinman won a 1915 competition against two other artists for the design job and is thought to have modeled his version of Liberty on Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of noted poet Wallace Stevens. Weinman wrote that he considered the winged cap to symbolize “liberty of thought.” The reverse depicts a fasces — the object carried by lictors who accompanied Roman magistrates — representing war and justice, contrasted with a large olive branch symbolizing peace.

Before the newly designed dimes were released to the public, samples were sent to vending machine and pay phone companies. They complained the dimes were too thick and got stuck in their machines. The design was modified to make the rim thinner, and the new coins worked well in the machines. Upon release, the design was met with broad approval from both the public and numismatic community. J.W. Scott of New York City, one of the outstanding numismatists of the day, pronounced the new dime “the best piece of work that the United States Mint has turned out in a century.”

By 1928, the Mercury dime was well established in everyday American commerce. The 1928 Mercury Dime had a total mintage of over 19 million coins struck at the Philadelphia Mint. A glance at the mintage figures for the three 1928 Mercury dime issues reveals a familiar pattern for the 1920s — heavy representation from Philadelphia, with scant numbers from the Denver and San Francisco mints. This disparity in production volume directly shaped the relative scarcity and collector premiums that distinguish the three varieties today. The 1928-D is recognized as a slightly better date coin, with its value differences small in lower circulated grades but fairly significant in the better uncirculated grades.

The design remained the same until 1945, when the Mercury Head dime was replaced with one honoring recently deceased President Franklin Roosevelt. The series ran for nearly three decades without alteration — an indication of how well the original design held up both aesthetically and functionally. Today, the 1928 issue sits within the middle period of the Mercury dime series, representing a year of standard production that nonetheless carries meaningful collector interest, particularly for branch-mint examples in high grades.

Also Read: Mercury Dime Coin Value (1916-1945)

 

Is Your 1928 Dime Rare?

84

1928 No Mint Mark Dime

Mythic
Ranked 37 in Mercury Dime
54

1928 No Mint Mark Dime (FB)

Very Rare
Ranked 98 in Mercury Dime
89

1928 D Dime

Divine
Ranked 17 in Mercury Dime
75

1928 D Dime (FB)

Mythic
Ranked 61 in Mercury Dime
74

1928 S Dime

Legendary
Ranked 64 in Mercury Dime
72

1928 S Dime (FB)

Legendary
Ranked 65 in Mercury Dime

The six 1928 Mercury Dime varieties span a wide rarity spectrum — from Legendary to Divine — and the CoinValueChecker App is the fastest way to see exactly where your coin ranks within the full Mercury dime series, so you can buy and sell with confidence.

 

Key Features of the 1928 Dime

The 1928 dime is part of the Mercury dime series, officially known as the Winged Liberty Head dime, struck by the United States Mint from 1916 through 1945. All three mint facilities — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — produced dimes in 1928. The coin shares the same physical specifications as its predecessor, the Barber dime: 90% silver and 10% copper, with a diameter of 17.9 mm and a reeded edge.

The Obverse of the 1928 Dime

The Obverse Of The 1928 Dime

The obverse features the head of Liberty facing left, wearing a winged cap. The word “LIBERTY” appears widely spaced above, with “IN GOD WE TRUST” to the left and the date below. The designer’s initials “AW” appear to the right. The wings on the cap were intended to symbolize freedom of thought. As seen in the coin photographed above, the portrait retains fine detail in the hair and feathers of the wing — elements that are among the first areas to show wear in circulated examples.

The Reverse of the 1928 Dime

The Reverse Of The 1928 Dime

The reverse features the Roman fasces, comprised of an axe tied to a bundle of rods, with an olive branch intertwined. The fasces is a Roman symbol representing the power of law and government, surrounded by an olive branch symbolizing peace. The mint mark, when present, appears on the reverse along the lower rim — an “S” for San Francisco and a “D” for Denver. Coins struck at Philadelphia carry no mint mark.

Of particular interest to collectors is the condition of the horizontal bands tying together the bundle on the fasces — coins where these bands are fully separated earn the Full Bands (FB) designation and carry a significant premium over standard examples.

Other Features of the 1928 Dime

The artist’s initials are found on the obverse, while the mint mark is located on the reverse. The coin weighs 2.5 grams and measures 17.9 mm in diameter with a reeded edge — unchanged from earlier dime issues. Strike quality varied between facilities, with branch-mint coins from Denver and San Francisco more frequently showing weakness in the central reverse details, which directly affects the availability of Full Bands-certified examples from those mints today.

Also Read: Top 100 Rarest Dimes Worth Money (Most Expensive)

 

1928 Dime Mintage & Survival Data

1928 Dime Mintage & Survival Chart

Mintage Comparison

Survival Distribution

TypeMintageSurvivalSurvival Rate
No Mint19,480,0005,0000.0257%
D4,161,0004,0000.0961%
S7,400,0007,0000.0946%

A glance at the mintage figures for the three 1928 Mercury dime issues reveals a pattern familiar across most 1920s Mercury dime production — heavy representation from Philadelphia, with substantially smaller numbers from Denver and San Francisco. Philadelphia struck 19,480,000 coins that year, dwarfing the Denver issue of 4,161,000 and the San Francisco output of 7,400,000. That gap in original production, however, does not translate directly into a proportional advantage in surviving high-grade examples today.

The survival data tells a more nuanced story. Despite Philadelphia’s overwhelming mintage lead, its estimated survivor count of approximately 5,000 uncirculated coins yields a survival rate of just 0.0257% — the lowest of the three mints. Denver, with a far smaller original mintage of around 4 million, nonetheless shows a higher survival rate of roughly 0.0961%, with an estimated 4,000 coins remaining in collectible condition. San Francisco follows closely at 0.0946%, with approximately 7,000 survivors from its 7.4 million struck.

The Philadelphia Mint was known for its excellent craftsmanship, and its coins typically had higher mintages than other facilities — making them more affordable in most grades. The lower survival rate for Philadelphia coins likely reflects their heavier use in everyday commerce: more coins in circulation meant more coins worn down, lost, or melted over time.

Branch-mint coins, struck in smaller quantities, were more likely to be set aside by collectors early and thus survive into higher grades. The 1928-D and 1928-S Mercury dimes are relatively scarce in upper grades, and most especially in uncirculated condition. The survival data above quantifies exactly why — even accounting for their lower starting mintages, the percentage of coins that made it through nearly a century in collectible condition remains extremely small across all three facilities.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Roosevelt Dimes Worth Money List (Year Chart)

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1928 Dime Value

Knowing your 1928 Mercury Dime value starts with three things: the mint mark on the reverse, the condition of the coin, and whether the reverse bands qualify for a Full Bands designation. Wear appears first on the hair above the eye and Liberty’s cheek — that’s where to look when assessing grade. Each factor compounds the other, and getting all three right is what determines an accurate value.

The CoinValueChecker App makes this process straightforward, giving you instant access to variety-specific values, rarity rankings, and grade comparisons in one place.

CoinValueChecker APP Screenshot

 

1928 Dime Value Guides

The 1928 Mercury Dime was struck at three mint facilities, each producing a coin with its own mintage, strike characteristics, and collector value. Understanding which variety you have is the first step in determining what it’s worth.

  • 1928 No Mint Mark (Philadelphia) — With a total mintage of over 19 million coins, the Philadelphia issue is the most common of the three. Philadelphia was known for its excellent craftsmanship, and its coins typically benefited from sharper strikes than the branch mints. It remains the most affordable variety across most grades.
  • 1928-D (Denver) — The 1928-D is relatively scarce in the upper grades and most especially in uncirculated condition. Coins minted in Denver have a “D” mint mark on the reverse along the bottom rim. Its lower mintage of just over 4 million makes it the scarcest of the three 1928 issues by original production volume.
  • 1928-S (San Francisco) — The San Francisco Mint used an “S” mark to distinguish its coins. With 7.4 million struck, it sits between Philadelphia and Denver in terms of original mintage, but high-grade examples from early San Francisco issues represent some of the most elusive coins in 20th-century American numismatics.

Each variety also exists in a Full Bands (FB) version, which carries a significant premium over standard examples in the same grade — making six distinct collectible types in total for the 1928 issue alone.

CoinVaueChecker App 10

 

1928 No Mint Mark Dime Value

1928 No Mint Mark Dime Value

The 1928 No Mint Mark Mercury Dime occupies an interesting spot in the Mercury dime series — it’s approachable enough for beginners, yet rewarding enough to keep experienced collectors engaged. As the Philadelphia issue, it accounts for roughly 64% of all 1928 dimes produced, which keeps circulated examples affordable and easy to find.

In Mint State 63, a Philadelphia example costs around $75 — a fraction of what the same grade commands for the Denver or San Francisco issues, which can exceed $500 and $350 respectively. That accessibility is actually part of its appeal: it’s a coin that fits nearly any budget, making it a natural first step into Mercury dime collecting.

The real intrigue begins once you move up the grade ladder. A particularly well-preserved example with attractive original toning was once bid up to $1,725 at a David Lawrence Rare Coin Auction — a reminder that even the “common” Philadelphia issue can carry serious money in exceptional condition.

Because Philadelphia’s strike quality was generally stronger than the branch mints, certified Full Bands examples do exist in meaningful numbers — but top-pop MS67 FB coins remain genuinely scarce, and that’s where collector competition gets real. The silver content provides a built-in floor value tied to the current market, but collector interest and coin rarity often play a far larger role in determining what a coin actually sells for — meaning the 1928-P holds its value across multiple dimensions, not just one.

For collectors thinking long-term, a coin worth more to a numismatist than a silver buyer tends to be a more resilient investment, since its value doesn’t move in lockstep with metal prices alone.

1928 No Mint Mark Dime Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

1928 No Mint Mark Dime (FB) Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

To see exactly how these dynamics have played out at the sale block over the years, the Auction Record chart below tracks the most notable realized prices for this coin across grades and designations.

Date ↓PlatformPrice ⇅Grade ⇅

And if you’re curious about how actively this coin trades in today’s market, the Market Activity section gives you a live read on current demand and recent transaction patterns.

Market activity: 1928 No Mint Mark Dime

 

1928-D Dime Value

1928-D Dime Value

The 1928-D Mercury Dime is the scarcest of the three 1928 issues by original production volume, and that scarcity becomes very real once you move past circulated grades. A worn example in Good condition trades for around $7, while a solid uncirculated coin climbs to $237 — and from there, Mint State grades push values sharply higher, with MS65 reaching roughly $968 and MS67 topping $3,335. That kind of grade sensitivity is exactly what makes this coin interesting to collectors who know what to look for.

The 1928-D is common enough in circulated grades but considerably tougher in uncirculated — a pattern typical of most pre-1934 branch-mint Mercury dimes. The Denver Mint’s lower striking pressure is a key reason why: coins that didn’t receive a sharp, full strike at the moment of production simply cannot earn higher grades later, no matter how carefully they’ve been preserved. Full Bands examples do exist in meaningful numbers, but they become very scarce at MS65 and above — which is precisely where collector competition heats up and prices climb quickly.

For the highest certified grades, the 1928-D’s value range extends from around $6,600 all the way to $36,000 for top Full Bands specimens — a striking reminder that the “D” mint mark on a small silver dime can represent serious money when everything aligns. Even at MS63, a 1928-D can set a buyer back over $500, compared to just $75 for a Philadelphia coin in the same grade. That premium reflects genuine scarcity, not speculation, and it’s one reason why the 1928-D is considered a slightly better date within the series.

For collectors, the practical takeaway is straightforward: cherrypicking is especially important with this date and mint, given how difficult it can be to find sharply struck coins that grade at the higher levels. Patience tends to pay off here.

1928-D Dime Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

1928-D Dime (FB) Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

The Auction Record chart below shows exactly how the 1928-D has performed at sale over the years — and which grade and designation combinations have drawn the strongest bids.

Date ↓PlatformPrice ⇅Grade ⇅

If you’d like to see how actively this coin is trading right now, the Market Activity section gives you a current snapshot of demand and recent transactions.

Market activity: 1928-D Dime

 

1928-S Dime Value

1928-S Dime Value

The 1928-S Mercury Dime has a reputation that quietly outpaces its mintage numbers. With 7.4 million coins struck at the San Francisco Mint, it’s not a low-mintage coin on paper — but in practice, finding a well-struck example in high grade is a different matter entirely. The 1928-S is very common in circulated grades and widely available in lower uncirculated grades, which makes it easy to acquire on a budget. The challenge begins the moment you try to move up the grade scale.

The culprit is strike quality. San Francisco’s production at the time frequently left the central reverse details soft — and for Mercury dimes, those details are everything. Mercury dimes from San Francisco and several mid-1920s years often show weak transitions in the central bands due to a poor strike, not wear, which means even a coin that has sat untouched in a collection for a century may never qualify for a Full Bands designation. That’s an important distinction: it shifts the scarcity story from survival to production, and it makes genuinely sharp examples structurally rare rather than just hard to find.

What happens at the top of the grade scale reflects that scarcity directly. The MS67 Full Bands 1928-S carries a wholesale bid of around $15,000, with a combined PCGS and NGC certified population of just eleven coins at that grade level. That’s a remarkably thin pool for a coin with a seven-million-piece mintage — and it’s precisely why numismatic experts note that choice specimens are scarce and gems rare, due primarily to deficiencies in strike quality at the time of production. Collectors who understand this don’t just look for 1928-S coins — they look for sharp 1928-S coins, which is a considerably narrower search.

For anyone building a Mercury dime set, the 1928-S occupies a meaningful position: affordable to start, but genuinely demanding to complete at a high level. That combination of accessibility and ceiling-level difficulty is what keeps collector interest steady across market cycles.

1928-S Dime Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

1928-S Dime (FB) Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:36

The Auction Record chart below shows how the 1928-S has performed at major sales over time — including which grade and designation combinations have drawn the most competitive bidding.

Date ↓PlatformPrice ⇅Grade ⇅

To see how this coin is moving in today’s market, the Market Activity section gives you a current read on demand and recent transaction volumes.

Market activity: 1928-S Dime

1928-S Large S FS-501 Dime Value

1928-S Large S FS-501 Dime

Within the 1928-S Mercury Dime family, there’s a variety that rewards collectors who know what to look for: the Large S, catalogued in the Cherrypicker’s Guide as FS-501. This San Francisco Mint dime carries a distinctly larger “S” mintmark compared to the standard issue — a subtle but meaningful difference that stems from the use of a different punch during the die preparation process. To the untrained eye, it looks like any other 1928-S dime. To a variety collector, it’s a completely separate coin worth tracking down.

The Large S punch used on these coins was a transitional tool — larger than what the San Francisco Mint would use in subsequent years — and its use wasn’t uniform across the entire 1928-S production run, which means not every coin from that year carries it. That inconsistency in application is precisely what makes variety collectors pay attention. Both a Large S and Small S mintmark exist for the 1928-S issue, and many coin albums include a dedicated slot for both varieties, which signals that the distinction is recognized across the hobby and not just by specialists.

In terms of value, the FS-501 trades at a modest but consistent premium over the standard 1928-S in most grades. The auction record for the standard Large S variety stands at $1,725 in MS65, achieved at a Stack’s Bowers sale in August 2011, while the Full Bands version — designated FS-501, FB — reached $2,050 in MS65 FB at an eBay auction in August 2019. Those numbers are relatively modest compared to the top-pop standard 1928-S FB results, but they reflect genuine collector demand for a coin that most people overlook entirely.

The practical challenge with this variety is identification. Distinguishing a Large S from a Small S requires a loupe and a reference image — the difference is visible but not dramatic. That’s what makes cherrypicking so effective here: Full Bands specimens are already tough at the MS65 grade point and higher for the standard 1928-S, and the FS-501 variety adds another layer of selectivity on top of that. Finding a Large S example that also qualifies for a Full Bands designation in high grade is genuinely uncommon, and certified examples at those levels are the ones that generate real collector interest.

1928-S Large S FS-501 Dime Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:37

1928-S Large S FS-501 Dime (FB) Price/Grade Chart

Price by 1-70 Grade (Latest Auction Records Included)

Updated: 2026-03-24 13:20:37

Also Read: 16 Rare Dime Errors List with Pictures (By Year)

 

Rare 1928 Dime Error List

Error coins add a whole different dimension to collecting — and the 1928 Mercury Dime is no exception. While the 1928 issue doesn’t have a headline overdate error like the famous 1942/41, it was produced during an era when quality control was far less automated than today, and common mint errors of the period typically include clipped planchets, die cracks, off-center strikes, and doubled dies, each carrying a distinctive level of appeal and rarity that directly affects market value. If you’re searching through a roll of old silver dimes, keeping an eye out for any of the following is well worth your time.

1. 1928 Dime Off-Center Strike

1928 Dime Off-Center Strike

An off-center strike happens when the planchet isn’t properly centered under the dies at the moment of striking, causing part of the design to be missing from the finished coin. These errors are relatively scarce because quality control typically removed such obviously defective planchets before striking — those that made it through the process are now prized collectibles.

On a 1928 dime, the most desirable off-center examples are those where the date remains fully visible despite significant misalignment — typically 20% or more off-center. A minor shift of 5–10% adds modest value, but dramatic examples with 50%+ displacement and a readable date can command serious collector premiums. A rare 1916 Mercury Dime struck 95% off-center achieved approximately $5,000, which gives a sense of how much the error category can move the needle on small silver coins when the displacement is extreme.

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2. 1928 Dime Clipped Planchet

A clipped planchet occurs during the blanking process, when the metal strip isn’t advanced properly between punches and the next blank overlaps a previously punched hole — resulting in a coin with a curved or straight bite missing from its edge. Curved clips often show what’s known as the Blakesley Effect, where the rim on the opposite side of the coin shows unusual weakness or missing detail — a useful diagnostic when you’re trying to confirm whether a clipped edge is genuine or just damage.

On 1928 dimes, small clips of 5–10% typically trade for modest premiums in circulated grades, with small clipped planchet examples generally selling for $50–$125 depending on condition and the size of the clip. Larger, more dramatic clips — especially curved ones with clear Blakesley Effect — attract stronger collector interest and higher prices.

3. 1928 Dime Lamination Error

Lamination errors originate in the planchet itself, before the coin ever reaches the press. A lamination flaw results from metal impurities or internal stresses — gas bubbles, foreign material, or improper alloy mixing create weak spots in the metal structure that cause layers of the coin’s surface to separate, flake, or peel.

On a 90% silver coin like the 1928 Mercury Dime, lamination defects can appear as peeling patches, raised flakes, or missing surface areas on either the obverse or reverse. The key to distinguishing a genuine lamination from post-mint damage is the appearance: genuine laminations show consistent, manufacturing-style defects with clean edges, while damage tends to be irregular and often shows signs of external force.

Value depends heavily on how dramatic and clearly original the flaw is — minor surface flakes add modest premiums, while large, clearly mint-origin laminations on well-preserved coins can be meaningfully collectible.

4. 1928 Dime Die Break / Cud Error

Die breaks occur when striking die fragments physically detach during production due to metal fatigue and stress fractures from repeated use. When fragments break away, they leave voids in the die surface, and during subsequent strikes, planchet metal flows into these voids, creating raised, featureless areas on the coin. The most recognizable form is the cud — a raised, blob-like area typically adjacent to the rim, where a chunk of the die broke away completely.

On a small 17.9mm coin like the Mercury dime, even a modest cud is visually striking. Value correlates directly with the size and dramatic nature of the break, with larger examples commanding higher premiums. Interior die cracks — raised lines running across the coin’s field — are more common and more affordable, but a well-defined rim cud on a 1928 dime is the kind of find that gets attention in collector communities.

 

Where to Sell Your 1928 Dime?

After determining what your coins are worth, you’re probably wondering about convenient online selling options. I’ve researched and compiled a guide to the best platforms, outlining their services, pros, and cons.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1928 Dime Market Trend

Market Interest Trend Chart - 1928 Dime

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ about the 1928 Dime

1. How much is a 1928 dime worth today?

It depends on the mint and condition. A collector could easily spend $5 on a circulated specimen or dish out hundreds on a mint-state example — the range is that wide. In general, a worn Philadelphia coin starts around $4–$8, while high-grade branch-mint examples with Full Bands can push well into the hundreds or even thousands.

2. Is a 1928 dime made of silver?

Yes. Mercury dimes produced in 1928 are 90% silver and contain .0723 troy oz — or 2.248 grams — of pure silver. That gives every surviving 1928 dime a built-in melt value tied to the silver spot price, regardless of collector grade.

3. Which 1928 dime is the most valuable?

The 1928-D is the scarcest by original mintage at just over 4 million coins, and commands the highest premiums in upper uncirculated grades. However, the 1928-S Full Bands in top grades holds the overall auction record for the year — its thin certified population at MS67 FB makes it the single most valuable 1928 issue when one surfaces.

4. What does the “D” or “S” on a 1928 dime mean?

The mint mark identifies where the coin was produced. A “D” means Denver, an “S” means San Francisco, and no mint mark means Philadelphia. Finding a “D” or “S” mint mark immediately raises the value of a 1928 dime, as collectors assembling sets need all three varieties and sharp branch-mint examples are genuinely difficult to find.

5. What is the Full Bands designation and why does it matter?

Full Bands (FB) refers to the horizontal bands on the fasces on the reverse being fully separated and clearly defined. It’s awarded by grading services like PCGS and NGC only when the coin’s strike is sharp enough to show complete band separation — something that many 1928 branch-mint coins failed to achieve due to weak striking pressure. FB-designated coins can be worth several times more than standard examples in the same numerical grade.

6. Where is the mint mark on a 1928 dime?

The mint mark is located on the reverse of the coin, along the lower rim near the base of the fasces. Philadelphia-struck coins carry no mint mark at all — only Denver (“D”) and San Francisco (“S”) issues are marked.

7. How can I tell if my 1928 dime is in good condition?

Wear appears first on the hair above Liberty’s eye and on her cheek just below it — those are the high points to examine first. On the reverse, check whether the vertical lines of the fasces are still separated. A coin with sharp detail in both areas and unbroken mint luster is in the upper range; one with flattened hair and merged lines has seen significant circulation.

8. Should I get my 1928 dime professionally graded?

If your coin appears to be in uncirculated or near-uncirculated condition, professional grading from PCGS or NGC is strongly worth considering. Collectors closely analyze coins for any and all imperfections, and even the smallest blemishes are noted — a certified grade removes any ambiguity and typically supports a higher, more confident sale price. For heavily worn examples worth only a few dollars, the grading fee may outweigh the benefit.

9. Is a 1928 dime a good investment?

Coins worth more to a numismatist than to a silver buyer tend to be a better long-term investment, since their value doesn’t move in lockstep with metal prices alone. The 1928 issue — particularly branch-mint and Full Bands examples — falls into that category. Its collector demand provides a floor that pure bullion coins don’t have, though as with any collectible, timing and grade both matter.

10. Are there any rare varieties of the 1928 dime to look for?

Yes. The most notable is the 1928-S Large S (FS-501), where a distinctly oversized “S” mint mark punch was used on a portion of San Francisco’s production that year. Both a Large S and Small S mintmark exist for the 1928-S issue, and many coin albums include a dedicated slot for both varieties — making it a recognized collectible variety rather than just a curiosity. Identifying the difference requires a loupe and a reference image, which is exactly what makes cherrypicking so rewarding for variety collectors.

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