Heritage’s Feb. 24 Premier Session auction had some great dimes, including a 1968-S Roosevelt, No S dime graded Proof 68 by Numismatic Guaranty Co. that sold for $24,000.

Coins dated 1964 were the last ones composed of 90% silver for circulation. Between 1965 and 1967, no Mint marks were used on coins, and production of Proof coins went on a hiatus too. Proof coin production resumed in 1968 at the San Francisco Assay Office (as that Mint was officially called then) and while the S Mint mark was supposed to be placed on each obverse die that struck Proof coins, some Proof 1968 dimes were struck in San Francisco without the Mint mark and released in the five-coin Proof sets that year.

Perhaps a few dozen survive today, indicating that the mistake was likely caught early in production. The example in the auction features slightly gold-tone surfaces with a bit of obverse contrast between the fields and devices. It was previously offered in 2013 with the original set it was once a part of, the other four coins in the now-opened government plastic case. At that sale the opened set with the special dime brought $15,275.

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