1906-O 10C AU53 认证号20403437, PCGS号4840

Ron Guth

Of the four Dimes of 1906 (P, D, S, and O), the New Orleans Mint version has the smallest mintage.  This makes it a very popular coin with collectors.  In most grades below Mint State, this date carries a strong premium.  However, in Mint State, it is the second most affordable 1906 Dime -- after the 1906-P.  How can a coin with the lowest mintage be one of the least expensive?  It has to do with the survival rate of the coins from each Mint -- a classic example of how supply and demand affect each other.  As the pricing structure indicates, the second most affordable date (the 1906-O) has the second largest population of Mint State coins.  Thus, collectors have the opportunity to choose among scores of nice, Uncirculated 1906-O Dimes, many of them really nice.  For example, the PCGS CoinFacts Condition Census of the top ten examples is almost completely full of MS67's.  Such is not the case with any other 1906 Dime.

The strike quality on the 1906-O Dime is generally quite strong.  However, numerous examples show what are known as "roller marks" (striations in the planchet caused as the strip of silver from which the blanks are punched is rolled out or milled to the proper thickness).  Roller marks should not affect the value of a coin, but they do have a slight impact on the overall grade.  Coins with perfect planchets should be worth a premium.