1968-S 10C, DCAM (Proof)

Mitch Spivack: The 1968-S Proof Roosevelt Dime is a very common coin in typical proof condition with a mintage of slightly over 3 million coins. It is possible to buy hundreds (perhaps a thousand) of them in a single day. But, finding them with “deep cameo” surfaces is another story and finding them with deep cameo surfaces and in near perfect, or perfect, grade is yet another story on top of that.

PCGS has graded and slabbed roughly 5,250 coins overall of this particular proof date already as collectors and dealers submit their specimens in search of the holy grail. Nearly 4,000 of these graded coins had insufficient cameo devices to even earn a “cameo” designation. But, a single specimen was deemed “perfect” and achieved the “PR70” grade at PCGS (PCGS Coin # 5244).

For coins of this date that had some degree of cameo, PCGS graded and slabbed yet another roughly 625 specimens with only a single coin achieving the PCGS-PR70CAM grade (PCGS Coin

# 85244). Hence, achieving PCGS perfection in this first year of issue proof Roosevelt Dime is a monumental task in itself where just (2) (non-DCAM) specimens out of those 4,600+ grading events have ever achieved that status.

But, now in search of the “holy grail” - absolute perfection in this coin as well as “Deep Cameo” devices.

As of today, PCGS has graded and slabbed about 662 “deep cameo” specimens of this date across all grades. The coins that grade even as high as PR68DCAM have a fairly low value of around just $28. Simply “supply and demand” at work here as there may be only “214” coins at that grade level, but there are currently “372” coins at the PR69DCAM level and these coins are often available at around $100 with a price guide value of $110. For a few extra dollars, collectors simply want to gobble up for about $100 a “near perfect” PR69DCAM specimen.

Now enter the phenomenon of dedicated collectors desiring “absolute perfection” (or as close to absolute perfection as is possible) in their collectibles. This is the case with sports cards, Pokemon cards, memorabilia, classic coins and early date “modern” coins such as this particular coin. This collectible has seen just 2 grading events at PCGS in the past (38) years where the coin has achieved both the “perfect” grade of PCGS-PR70 and DCAM surfaces (PCGS-PR70DCAM). As the Coinfacts photo shows, a PCGS-PR70DCAM specimen of this date has impeccable preservation and stark white-on-black contrast. As stated- the “holy grail” of first year issue proof Roosevelt Dimes (along with high grade ultra rare “No S” specimen proof dimes from this year as well) (December 9, 2024).