What dime? SOLVED

Foragist · Nov 16, 2017

I found this dime in my back yard this summer. No other silver or older coins in this yard. It was white and bumpy when I dug it. I cleaned it as good as it gets. Most of the white is gone, but it's all bumpy; like molten, on both sides. Absolutely no obverse/reverse features left. Exact size of a dime. Still has the reeded edge. Can I call it scrap silver? Can I call it a 1916 D Mercury; Heavily circulated? :lol:

Never saw one like it. If it was clad, it should have been dark, instead of white.

Foragist · Nov 16, 2017

OOPS! Forgot the pics. Here's a pic of each side, and an edge shot.

Chipk · Nov 16, 2017

Definitely a 1916 D

DiggerMD · Nov 17, 2017

Looks like an electrical knock out plug to me. :laughing:

Ron 71 · Nov 17, 2017

Possibly in a fire?

Mud-puppy · Nov 17, 2017

Ya see, Long time ago, folks swept their floors with brooms instead of vacuum cleaners, then, they simply dumped the dust pan into the fireplace or woodstove along with all the other garbage, or burned it outside in a barrel...Then, they would occasionally dump the ashes out of doors so thats what happened here I am thinking! You found A Fire Dime! Not really that common a find, but we do see them show up throughout the year on the Forum...Nice!

Foragist · Nov 17, 2017

Thanks guys. Pretty confident it was, in fact, a US dime, but still not certain it's a silver dime. I once found several dollars worth of somebody's poker change all burnt in an old campfire spot. Some was still good, but most coins were in various states of meltedness. None of it looked like this. The burning barrel or woodstove theory makes sense, though. This condition could have resulted from it being 90% silver, in an even heat source.
...but I like ChipK's answer!

Mikey48 · Nov 17, 2017

You can weigh it and see if the weight is correct for a silver dime.

If it is silver it should weigh 2.5 grams or very close to it.

If it is way underweight it is not silver. It does look like it has been very hot due to the surface bubble-like condition. "Mud" is probably right that it's a "fire dime. He's seen a lot of unusual stuff out there.

Foragist · Nov 17, 2017

Mikey48 said:
You can weigh it and see if the weight is correct for a silver dime.

If it is silver it should weigh 2.5 grams or very close to it.

If it is way underweight it is not silver. It does look like it has been very hot due to the surface bubble-like condition. "Mud" is probably right that it's a "fire dime. He's seen a lot of unusual stuff out there.

Will do that when I get the time. I did do a drop test, to hear if it rings like a silver dime. Unfortunately, the acoustics have been altered. It has a duller thud than a normal clad or silver dime.

Mud-puppy · Nov 17, 2017

Foragist said:
Will do that when I get the time. I did do a drop test, to hear if it rings like a silver dime. Unfortunately, the acoustics have been altered. It has a duller thud than a normal clad or silver dime.

just file the edge a little...with a finger nail file even...I Dont think you have to worry about hurting its Numismatic value...you will see right away if its silver...

Foragist · Nov 17, 2017

Mud-puppy said:
just file the edge a little...with a finger nail file even...I Dont think you have to worry about hurting its Numismatic value...you will see right away if its silver...

Oh yeah. I forgot that I thought of that last night. I just now did that, and I scratched a clad dime for side by side comparison. My fire dime has the unmistakeable shine of silver. Cool beans! It is a 1916 D!
Thanks, Mud, for yet another quick, easy, simple solution.

HannibalNectar · Nov 20, 2017

Looks to me like it says 2000 where the us dime date is.

Ohiodigger · Nov 20, 2017

It looks like a 1894-s Barber dime to me!!!

Foragist · Nov 20, 2017

HannibalNectar said:
Looks to me like it says 2000 where the us dime date is.

No, really, it's a silver dime, and no matter how you gaze into it, or what your smoking, but there are just no features, numbers, etc. left. Thanks for playing!

Foragist · Nov 20, 2017

Ohiodigger said:
It looks like a 1894-s Barber dime to me!!!

Oh, ok, I guess I can clearly see that now! FOR SALE!

Pulltabby · Nov 20, 2017

I was told not to clean coins :lol:

Foragist · Nov 20, 2017

Pulltabby said:
I was told not to clean coins

Oh, right. Oops. I really did it this time! Now I suppose it's not worth getting graded. :frustrated:

amc rulz · Nov 21, 2017

You can try the tissue test with a white single-ply Kleenex. Lay a clad dime next to a silver dime under the tissue. The clad shows up dark, the silver appears white. Works with all silver coin, even 40% silver.

Silversmith45 · Nov 22, 2017

Would it work with this barber dime that I found?

What dime? SOLVED

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