Diagnostic Controls & Presets One of the 'Big Three' US Rarities (24 Struck)
Diagnostic Forensic Readings
Forensic Attribution Diagnostic
Real-time metallurgical and die variety cross-examination verified against certified populations.
Technical Breakdown: Physics, Metallurgy & Die Diagnostics
Mintage Calculation: $2.40 ÷ $0.10 = Exactly 24 Dimes
Mint accounting rules required the San Francisco Mint to balance its annual bullion books to the penny. Rather than carrying over uncoined silver, Superintendent John Daggett ordered 24 dimes struck to balance the fiscal account.
Confirmed Survivors: 9 Specimens (2 Circulated, 7 Proofs)
Daggett kept several for himself and gave three to his young daughter Hallie, who spent one on ice cream. That circulated piece was rediscovered decades later in Gumble's department store change.
Composition: 90% Ag / 10% Cu • Reeded Edge
All 24 genuine pieces were struck as branch mint proofs from a single pair of specially polished dies, resulting in intense reflective mirror fields and crisp square rims.
Documented Benchmark Auction Records
Ex-Hallie Daggett & Simpson Collection. The finest certified branch mint proof; hypnotic cameo contrast with original mint brilliance.
Ex-Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr. Cabinet. Historic pedigree coin boasting dazzling flash and needle-sharp reverse wreath kernels.
The famed 'Ice Cream Specimen' spent in circulation; authenticated by diagnostic die markers and rim profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why were only 24 1894-S Barber Dimes struck?
The 1894-S Barber Dime was struck because of an accounting discrepancy at the San Francisco Mint. In June 1894, the annual audit showed that a small amount of silver bullion—valued at exactly $2.40—remained in the melting account. Under federal rules, the ledger had to balance to zero. Mint Superintendent John Daggett ordered 24 dimes struck ($2.40 total) to close out the books.
What is the legend of Hallie Daggett and the ice cream?
Superintendent John Daggett kept some of the 24 newly struck dimes and gave three to his young daughter, Hallie. He advised her to hold onto them until she grew up because they would become extremely valuable. However, on her walk home, she spent one of the dimes on a dish of ice cream. That circulated 'ice cream dime' was rediscovered decades later in retail change and sold for hundreds of thousands of dollars!
How many 1894-S dimes are known to exist today?
Only 9 authentic specimens have been confirmed: 7 in Proof condition and 2 in circulated condition (including the famous Good-4 'Ice Cream' specimen). The remaining 15 coins from the original mintage of 24 were likely melted or lost to history.
What are the 'Big Three' rarities in American numismatics?
In classic American numismatics, the 'Big Three' legendary rarities are: (1) The 1804 Draped Bust Silver Dollar, (2) The 1913 Liberty Head Nickel, and (3) The 1894-S Barber Dime.
How do you authenticate an 1894-S dime and detect counterfeits?
Because common 1894 Philadelphia dimes have no mintmark, counterfeiters often remove an 'S' mintmark from an 1895-S or 1897-S dime and solder it onto an 1894 coin. All 24 genuine coins were struck as Branch Mint Proofs from a single die pair. Key diagnostics include: mirror-like reflective fields, a faint die scratch in the field near the 'S' mintmark, and sharp square rims.
What is the exact silver weight and diameter of the 1894-S dime?
The coin adheres to the standard Barber Dime specifications: weight of 2.50 grams (38.58 grains), diameter of 17.9 millimeters, reeded edge, and composed of 90% silver and 10% copper (0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver).
When did the 1894-S Barber Dime first sell for over one million dollars?
In 2005, an 1894-S graded PCGS PR-66 sold privately for $1.3 million. In 2016 and 2019, top-grade examples sold at public auction for $1,997,500 and $2,000,000, cementing its status as the most valuable 10-cent coin in world history.