1982 No-P Roosevelt Dime Value & Price Guide

In 1980, the United States Mint did something it had never done before: it started putting a "P" mint mark on coins struck at the Philadelphia facility. For nearly 200 years, Philadelphia coins had gone unmarked, while branch mints (Denver, San Francisco, etc.) added their identifying letters. The decision to add the P was meant to help collectors and to mark a new era.

Two years later, someone at the Philadelphia Mint forgot to put the P on one of the dies used to strike Roosevelt Dimes. Thousands of 1982 dimes rolled off the presses without any mint mark at all. They went straight into circulation, mixed in with billions of normal dimes, waiting to be found.

This is the 1982 No-P Roosevelt Dime, and it's one of the few genuine mint errors that you might still find in your pocket change.

Quick Value Summary

Item: 1982 Roosevelt Dime, No Mint Mark (Strong) Year: 1982 Mint: Philadelphia (P omitted) Category: Coins (Error/Variety)

Condition Range:

• Circulated (VF to AU): $30 - $75

• Mint State (MS-63): $75 - $125

• Mint State (MS-64): $100 - $175

• Mint State (MS-65): $150 - $300

• Mint State (MS-66+): $250 - $500+

Weak Strike Variety: Values approximately 50% less than the Strong variety at comparable grades. Record Sale: Approximately $325 (MS65, eBay, July 2021 - weak variety) / Strong variety commands more. Rarity: Scarce (thousands exist, but within a mintage of hundreds of millions)

The Story

Before 1980, you could tell where a US coin was minted by what letter appeared (or didn't appear) on it. Denver coins got a D. San Francisco got an S. Philadelphia got nothing. That had been the tradition since the first US coins were struck in 1793.

In 1980, the Mint added the P mint mark to all denominations except the cent (Lincoln cents from Philadelphia still don't carry a mint mark). For 1980 and 1981, everything worked fine. Then in 1982, one or more obverse dies were prepared without the P punch being applied. Quality control missed the omission. The dies were installed in coin presses and used to strike dimes.

PCGS distinguishes between two varieties of the 1982 No Mint Mark dime:

• Strong: The area where the P should appear (to the right of the date, near the base of Roosevelt's neck) is cleanly missing. No evidence that a mint mark was ever present.

• Weak: Some faint traces suggest a P may have been partially present but didn't fully strike up, or the die deteriorated in the mint mark area.

The Strong variety is the more valuable and collected of the two. The Weak variety, while still collectible, brings lower prices because the missing mint mark could be attributed to die deterioration rather than a clear omission.

The error was first noticed by collector Jim Sazama in late 1982. He found a Philadelphia-struck dime in a bank roll that had no mint mark. He reported it to numismatic publications, and the hunt was on. Thousands of collectors started searching their change, and within weeks, additional examples surfaced across the eastern United States, particularly in areas serviced by the Philadelphia Mint's distribution network.

The US Mint did not release official Mint Sets in 1982 or 1983 (due to budget constraints), which means there are no Mint Set examples of this coin. All surviving specimens came from circulation or from bank rolls purchased at face value.

How to Identify It

What to look for: 1. A 1982 Roosevelt Dime 2. NO mint mark anywhere on the obverse (the "heads" side) 3. The area to the right of the date, near the base of Roosevelt's neck/jawline, should be smooth and unmarked

What NOT to confuse it with:

• 1982-D dime: Has a "D" mint mark. Worth face value.

• 1982-P dime: Has a "P" mint mark. Worth face value (or a few dollars in very high grade).

• Pre-1980 dimes without mint marks: All Philadelphia dimes before 1980 lacked a mint mark. These are normal coins, not errors.

• Damaged or filled mint marks: Sometimes grease or debris fills the mint mark cavity on a die, causing the P to appear faint or missing. This is called a "filled die" or "grease-filled die" and is much less valuable than a true No-P error.

Strong vs. Weak:

• Strong No P: The area where the mint mark belongs is completely smooth. Under magnification, there is no trace of a P.

• Weak No P: There may be faint indications of a letter or the surface may be slightly uneven in the mint mark area.

Value by Condition

Strong Variety:

Circulated (VF-30 to AU-58): $30 - $75 These are coins pulled from circulation. They show normal wear from spending time in pockets, cash registers, and coin jars. Even with wear, the absence of the P mint mark is clearly visible. At $30 to $75, this is one of the most affordable genuine US Mint errors available.

Mint State (MS-63): $75 - $125 No wear, but may have contact marks from other coins (bag marks). The surfaces are lustrous. A PCGS or NGC holder confirming "No Mintmark - Strong" adds confidence.

Mint State (MS-64): $100 - $175 Better surfaces than MS-63. Fewer contact marks, good eye appeal. This is the sweet spot for collectors who want a certified example without paying top dollar.

Mint State (MS-65): $150 - $300 Gem quality. Minimal contact marks, strong luster, excellent eye appeal. PCGS and NGC populations at MS-65 and above are relatively small.

Mint State (MS-66+): $250 - $500+ Superb quality with nearly flawless surfaces. These are rare because the coins were distributed through commerce, not carefully handled Mint Sets.

Weak Variety: Values run approximately 40-60% of the Strong variety at comparable grades. A Weak variety MS-65 might bring $100-$175.

Full Bands (FB) designation: Like other Roosevelt Dimes, the 1982 No-P can receive a Full Bands (or Full Torch) designation if the horizontal bands on Roosevelt's torch are fully separated. FB coins command a premium of 20-50% over non-FB examples at the same grade.

Known Varieties

Strong No Mint Mark (PCGS #5162): The primary collected variety. Clearly missing P with no trace of the mint mark on the die.

Weak No Mint Mark (PCGS #5207): A secondary variety where the missing P is less definitive. Lower values and less collector demand.

Authentication & Fakes

The 1982 No-P Dime is low enough in value that sophisticated counterfeiting is rare. However:

• Removed mint marks: Someone could carefully remove the P from a normal 1982-P dime. Under magnification, tooling marks and disturbed metal flow would be visible in the mint mark area.

• Grease-filled dies: A normal 1982-P struck with grease in the mint mark area of the die. The P is technically present on the die but didn't transfer to the coin. These are interesting but less valuable than a true No-P.

PCGS or NGC certification is recommended for coins you plan to sell for more than $50. At $25-40 for economy grading, it provides authentication and marketability. For coins that might grade MS-65 or higher, the grading fee is well worth the investment.

Where to Sell

Best venues:

• eBay: The most active market for this coin. Dozens of sales monthly. Fees ~13%.

• Great Collections: Online numismatic auction with competitive results.

• Local coin shops: Will buy certified examples at 60-75% of market value.

• Coin shows: Face-to-face sales to dealers and collectors.

Expected selling costs:

• PCGS/NGC grading: $25 - $50

• eBay fees: ~13%

• Shipping: $5 - $10

How to search for one yourself: Check any 1982 dimes you come across. Look for the absence of a P mint mark to the right of the date. While the odds are low (thousands exist among hundreds of millions of 1982 dimes), people still find them in pocket change, bank rolls, and inherited coin collections.

Found a 1982 dime with no mint mark? Upload a photo to Curio Comp for a quick identification.

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