Photo Credit: Sandspur Coins and Collectibles
90% Silver Proof Roosevelt Dime Rolls
Buy It Now Price: $76.90 (price as of 2019; item no longer available)
Pros:
-These gorgeous proof Roosevelt dime rolls feature 50 frosted coins struck from solid 90% silver, giving them a face value of $5 each.
-Each dime is exactly 2.5 grams of 90% fine silver, giving a total net silver content of 112.5 grams (3.617 troy ounces) per roll.
-Proof coins are special presentation issues struck from specially prepared dies under ideal conditions. They are intended primarily for collectors and usually sell for significant premiums over non-proof versions.
-All Roosevelt dimes were struck in 90% silver from the inception of the series in 1946 until 1964, when silver was removed from most circulating U.S. coinage. No silver dimes were struck for the next 28-years. Then, in 1992 the U.S. government began issuing annual proof sets that contained regular-circulating coin denominations (including dimes) minted in silver.
-Although the seller is not specific about the dates you might receive, the photos seem to indicate that most of these silver proof Roosevelt dime rolls will be modern (i.e. 1992 and later) in nature. Of course, we can’t rule out the possibility that you might receive early 1960s, or even late 1950s, silver proof Roosevelt dimes.
-Modern silver proof dimes struck since 1992 are much rarer than their circulating counterparts, with mintages usually less than 1/1000th of the latter. They are also rarer than non-silver proof dimes, having been minted at only 1/2 to 1/3 their rate.
-With spot silver trading for around $14.85 a troy ounce, these silver proof Roosevelt dime rolls contain just under $54 worth of silver each. This means you are only paying around $23 over melt per roll – a premium of about 43%. This is quite a low premium for proof coins, which will always have at least some numismatic potential.
-I’m normally not a fan of most modern coinage from a collector’s perspective. They are often staggeringly over-issued base-metal abominations, with little hope of future numismatic demand. However, I am willing to make exceptions for extraordinary situations. And these silver proof Roosevelt dime rolls certainly qualify as extraordinary, with their blazing gem cameo specimens minted in precious metal.
-I believe these 90% silver proof Roosevelt dime rolls are well worth the $77 asking price. They would be a great addition to any silver bullion stack, adding the diversification of collector’s value to what is otherwise a straightforward bullion purchase.
Cons:
-If you are just looking to stockpile junk silver, you can buy a roll of circulated 90% silver Roosevelt dimes for maybe $60 to $65. So each silver proof Roosevelt dime roll will cost you an extra $15 over an equivalent junk roll. But this hardly seems like a con to me, given the added investment potential of proof issues.
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