1970 No S Proof Proof

The 1970 No S Proof Roosevelt Dime is the second of the famous No-S proof errors in the series and, by a wide margin, the most accessible of the three (1968, 1970, and 1975). When proof dies were prepared at San Francisco for the 1970 proof set, at least one obverse die went into production without the S mintmark that should sit below the date. Coins struck from that die were packaged into proof sets and sold through the normal program before the omission was widely identified. Survival estimates today put the population at roughly 2,200 confirmed examples, a figure that is small in absolute terms but large compared with the dozen-and-a-half coins of the 1968 No-S. The 1975 No-S Roosevelt is much rarer still, with only two confirmed examples known. Realizations for 1970 No-S Proofs typically run from a few hundred dollars in lower grades to $1,000-$2,000 or more in PR68 and PR69 with Cameo or Deep Cameo designations, and superb-grade DCAM examples can climb further.

Authentication of a 1970 No S Proof is a strict exercise. The defining diagnostic is the complete absence of the S mintmark from below the date, paired with the surface character of a proof strike: deeply mirrored fields, squared rim transitions, and crisp design detail that no business strike from Philadelphia could replicate. The proof surface separation is essential because a 1970 Philadelphia business strike shares the lack of mintmark but has matte fields, frosty texture, and rounded rim transitions. Beyond surface analysis, certification by PCGS or NGC with an explicit "No S" attribution on the holder label is the only acceptable form of authentication. Raw coins, holders without explicit No-S designation, and third-party slabs from non-PCGS or non-NGC services should be treated as unconfirmed or fraudulent.

For collectors, the 1970 No-S occupies an unusual niche: meaningful rarity at a price point that puts the coin within reach of serious type and error collectors, rather than only the deepest pockets. It is the gateway No-S proof and a frequent presence at major auctions. For the broader story of how the resumption of proof production at San Francisco produced this error family, see the Roosevelt Dime series history.