Where are all the 1919 DDO Dimes?

fcloud

I have been expecting to see more of these come to the markets, but nobody seems to be finding them anymore.
Here is a close-up, so you know what to look for. Now, go dig through that old stock of dimes and find some.

BuffaloIronTail

Dimeman has them......................

Pete

TwoSides2aCoin

Same place they always were. In change unsearched.

Sandman70gt

I know where a few are

CascadeChris

@StrikeOutXXX Has been covertly gobbling them all up

Jimnight

Well... I sure don't have one.

keets

melted.

DIMEMAN

@BuffaloIronTail said:
Dimeman has them......................

Pete

I only have ONE.

fcloud

@keets said:
melted.

That is kind of what I think, too. I sure hope more get found of this variety.

Sandman70gt

I still have my vg10. Sold the cleaned ag. Census shows both.

BuffaloIronTail

OK. Humor aside. The 1919 DDO is similar to the 1918/7 Buffalo Nickel. They were not immediately discovered, and ended up in circulation with years of wear on them.

It is quite possible that a majority of survivors exist undiscovered, and those would be lost in the bulk circulated Dimes sitting in vast quantities - checked once before the variety was known - then thrown in with the rest of the "common" low grade Dimes which will (or have) become bullion.

Probably only collectors who search their collection holdings might find them.

It's my explanation (guess) of why it is so rare at the moment.

Pete

keets

since I don't know, I'll presume that the majority of known coins grade lower than Fine, mainly because it was such a long time between mintage and discovery. that would mean that perhaps thousands went into the Melt Pot and turned what would have been a rather common yet collectible variety into a rare or very scarce variety that is worth more money.

RogerB

Old albums, unsorted bullion dime bags, attrition.

koynekwest

Like Al says-I'll bet many in the lower grade ranges were melted, especially during the 1979-1980 silver craze. Maybe a few in higher grade, too.

fcloud

I think the years the coins were minted has something to do with it, too. Compare the 1945 Mercury Dime DDO FS-101, and you find that most of the coins found are uncirculated. The 1945 probably had many rolls of them put away for various reasons. End or WWII, Last year of mintage, etc. The 1919 had more spending power, and was probably used like we use lower denomination paper money. More usage means more wear. So anyway get out those old bags of silver and find some more of either of these Doubled Die varieties.

CaptHenway

The AU with environmental damage is still with my dealer friend in Indiana.

Cameonut

Worn out or melted.

keets

have enough of these traded to establish a value??

CaptHenway

@keets said:
have enough of these traded to establish a value??

I would say yes in VG or lower. On the EF's you can pretty much name your price. IMHO.

jdimmick

I had mentioned this before, I had one of those damn things about 7 years ago, thought it was neat, and nobody really gave a crap. Ended up selling it somewhere years ago for little of nothing. Fast forward, when this story broke, was upset as the one that got away, I cant remember what the grade was, but I know it was a vf to vf+.

I have been looking at countless numbers of 1919 dimes in sets and hoards that come in to no avail . Nada

StrikeOutXXX

@CascadeChris said:
@StrikeOutXXX Has been covertly gobbling them all up

I wish I had found many of them, but my original one was sold off and has been auctioned a few times after that (I did good in my private sale, more than it sold at Great Collections both times)

@BuffaloIronTail said:
OK. Humor aside. The 1919 DDO is similar to the 1918/7 Buffalo Nickel. They were not immediately discovered, and ended up in circulation with years of wear on them.

It is quite possible that a majority of survivors exist undiscovered, and those would be lost in the bulk circulated Dimes sitting in vast quantities - checked once before the variety was known - then thrown in with the rest of the "common" low grade Dimes which will (or have) become bullion.

Probably only collectors who search their collection holdings might find them.

It's my explanation (guess) of why it is so rare at the moment.

Pete

I agree - We are not quite yet at the 3-year mark for this variety, and we're at 24 examples in the census. 5 new ones were added this year.

I still think it's relatively unknown in the hobby - sure the rabid fans of the various forums are aware, but you would be surprised how many folks at my local shows still have no clue. The next version of the Mega Red will have it listed, and the next version of the CPG will have it, which might help awareness, and folks digging their old dimes out to look at. I still don't think we are anywhere near to checking even a small % of 1919 dimes out there for it.

@keets said:
have enough of these traded to establish a value??

Here is the sales history by value in the census, while there is some +/-, it certainly shows somewhat of a pattern at least to give a ballpark.

SALES HISTORY BY PRICE:
There have been several completed “Public” sales (eBay and Great Collections) so far. Prices include GC buyers premium, and eBay shipping. Private sales will be included if desired and verifiable.

(8) PCGS XF45 - $10,000 10/2017 - Private Sale: Rick Snow > Dimeman
(4) PCGS XF40 - $9,075 (2/14/2016 GC)
(1) PCGS VF20 - $4,290 (2/26/17 GC)
(1) PCGS VF20 - $3,960 (8/21/2016 GC)
(11) Raw VG - $2,250 (7/2016 eBay)
(24) PCGS AG3 - $1,599.99 (10/27/17 eBay - Buy It Now)
(13) NGC AG3 - $1,399.99 (11/21/17 eBay)
(16) NGC AG3 - $817.65 (9/2016 eBay)
(21) NGC AG3 - $772.66 (11/15/17 eBay Best Offer)
(19) PCGS Genuiine AG Details - Cleaning $725 (3/6/17 eBay) Resold with proper auction title
(17) PCGS FR2 - $606.83 (9/4/2016 GC)
(19) PCGS Genuine AG Details - Cleaning $203.53 (Not listed as DDO in auction) (10/2016 eBay)

FYI - in the 1st post of the original 1919 DDO Thread, at the very top I have the census of known (to me) coins, sales history by value, and sales history by date if you ever wanted to check.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/937347/1919-mercury-dime-confirmed-ddo-discovery-piece-census-in-1st-post/p1

ricko

I know where they are NOT.... not in my collection. I have looked at many.... On the day it broke, I had my daughter in NC go to the coin shops and buy ever 1919 they had... none were the DDO... Oh well, I keep looking.... Cheers, RickO

fcloud

I had one for a couple of weeks, and it sold pretty quickly off my site. Now, trying to find another is not going to be an easy task.

At least I had a bit of time to study it before it found a home. I could not find any other pick up points other than the motto.

I am sure there will be more, but when and how many will be the question. I also wonder how many people have them and won't say anything.

Now, we all need to search for more.

BUFFNIXX

scattered all over the place. been a longtime since they were struck.
probably a lot of lower grades, about good and good reposing undiscovered in
partially field sets
in an ole beat up Whitman folder.

BuffaloIronTail

You know, on second thought, there is also a chance that the doubling was caught, and the die pulled.

We'll never really know.

Pete

fcloud

@BUFFNIXX said:
scattered all over the place. been a longtime since they were struck.
probably a lot of lower grades, about good and good reposing undiscovered in
partially field sets
in an ole beat up Whitman folder.

I think there will be more found and I think somewhere along the line someone will come up with an uncirculated one.

seanq

@BuffaloIronTail said:
You know, on second thought, there is also a chance that the doubling was caught, and the die pulled.

We'll never really know.

Pete

I am pretty sure some are known in a later die state with a crack from the rim to the wing on the obverse around K-2. That would indicate that the die saw significant use. I think it is more likely that most were heavily circulated and melted without ever being identified.

Sean Reynolds

Sandman70gt

My vg10 has that die crack from wing to rim, also has a small crack on reverse at the lower part of the 'c' in america. This does indicate significant numbers
were produced.

My take on the rarity of these:
Economic conditions in the early 20's were recessionary due to vets returning from ww1, reducing demand for coins.
Mintage of all but silver dollars in 1921 was low. Only the cent and dollar were struck in 22, placing more demand on the other denominations.
The recession ended quickly, (18 months) and demand for coinage went up, wearing the existing coins. The mints were ramping up for the increase in demand. The economic upturn- the roaring 20's, placed even more demand for new coins and wore existing coins even more.
So long story short- the 1919 dime as well as many other coins of these times saw heavy use, and are quite worn. The newness of the newly designed dime had faded, and the times being what they were, none were saved, 100 years pass before anyone noticed them, silver prices have spiked several times and being old and worn out most were melted.

CaptHenway

Maybe the die failed early due to cracking. They say that any die can break on the first strike, or any strike thereafter.

Bottom line is we do not know.

DCW

@Sandman70gt That is a lovely example!
I think that these will be found slowly, but steadily over the years much like the 1918/7-d nickel. Most in AG-F, but mark my words an unirculated example is out there and will be found.
What I like about this variety, you can still see that split T in TRUST plain as day even on AG examples!
Good luck everyone, I'll be searching, too.

fcloud

Will any be found at FUN?