Rare 1917 Dime Errors (List & Pictures)
Does a wide border surround a complete design, or has part of the picture missed the coin? That distinction separates the two 1917 Mercury Dime errors in this guide, with estimated values of $150–$5,000.
A 1917-D broadstrike sold for $1,233.75 in June 2014. Compare the complete outlines on both faces before deciding whether a candidate spread outward or sat off center during striking.
1917 Dime Complete Designs Remain inside a Wide Border: Denver Broadstrike Error
The reported 1917-D broadstrike has a broad, uneven flat border around its complete design. Its silver spread beyond the normal width during striking.
A ring called the collar normally controls that outward movement and forms the edge grooves. Without proper restraint, the coin can expand while keeping the whole design.
The dealer-listed PCGS MS65 is separate from the auctioned NGC MS65 Full Bands. Their grading services and extra designations must remain with the correct specimens.
How to Identify
Find D beside the lower part of the reverse’s central bundle. Follow the outer letters and date on both faces to confirm that the intended design stays within the metal.
Inspect the wide border under magnification. A finished coin flattened afterward can also grow wider, but often has crushed design details or pressure marks.
Compare the widest span with the normal 17.9 mm and the weight with 2.50 grams. An intact 90% silver blank can spread without losing its metal.
Missing or incomplete edge grooves can support the lack of collar restraint. They are supporting evidence, rather than a reason to ignore the condition of the faces.
What It’s Worth
$250–$5,000 is an estimated range from modest or worn examples to attractive unworn Denver broadstrikes. The NGC MS65 Full Bands sold for $1,233.75 in June 2014.
The separate PCGS MS65 appears in a GOVMINT listing at $4,995. That is a dealer asking price, not a completed transaction.
Full Bands describes clear separation in the bands on the reverse bundle. It reflects strike detail rather than another error to add to the price.
1917 Dime Missing Design Meets Untouched Metal: Off-Center Strike Error
On the recorded 1917-S, part of ER in LIBERTY lies beyond the struck area. The coin is described as 10% off center toward one o’clock, with its S still visible.
The blank was misplaced under the dies, so part received no design while some intended detail missed the metal. A separate MS62 report gives 12% off-centering without establishing the same mint or measurements.
How to Identify
Read the date and follow the transition from struck design to bare crescent on both faces. The missing details should agree with the same displacement of the blank.
Grinding away a finished picture can create an empty-looking area but damages its surface. A shifted picture on only one face instead calls for a closer look at die alignment.
Inspect the mintmark area beside the lower reverse bundle if that area was actually struck. If it lies outside the surviving design, absence of a letter cannot prove Philadelphia origin.
Use the normal weight and diameter as starting comparisons, while recording the actual outline. Keep the 10% S-mint coin’s details separate from the 12% MS62 report.
What It’s Worth
$150–$1,500 is an estimated range for genuine examples, depending on displacement, identity, and condition. The PCGS AU58 1917-S was offered in May 2004 but went unsold.
A different 1919 dime struck 10% off center sold for $612.44 in June 2026 in PCGS MS64 Full Bands. It supplies a later-date, unworn comparison rather than a price paid for the lightly worn 1917-S.
Conclusion
Account for the whole design before judging the width of the rim. Complete pictures on expanded metal support broadstriking, while matching design loss beside bare metal supports off-centering.
Then compare the correct mint, specimen, and condition. The $4,995 listing is an asking price, the $1,233.75 result is a completed broadstrike sale, and the known AU58 off-center coin did not sell at its cited offering.
