1982 No Mintmark - Strong

The 1982 No Mintmark Strong Roosevelt dime is the most prominent die-preparation error of the Philadelphia P-mintmark era and one of the best-known modern US die varieties. A Philadelphia obverse die intended for circulation production was finished without receiving the P mintmark punch, and the dies entered routine production at full output speed before the omission was caught. The resulting coins entered commerce through bag and roll distribution, mixed indistinguishably with mintmarked 1982-P dimes. Estimates of the surviving population center on roughly 10,000 to 15,000 known examples across all grades, with the Strong subtype identifying coins where the mintmark area shows a completely clean, blank field above the date, no faint outline, no partial impression, no residual ghosting of the missing P. The standard clad specification of 2.27 grams, 17.9 millimeters, and cupronickel-clad composition over a pure copper core applies; this is a die-preparation error, not a planchet anomaly.

Authentication centers on absolute confirmation that the missing P resulted from die preparation, not post-mint surface tooling. Genuine examples show a smooth, undisturbed obverse field above the date where the P should sit, with full date and motto detail consistent with normal Philadelphia strike quality. The principal counterfeit pathway involves a 1982-D dime where the D has been removed by abrasion or chemical attack to mimic the no-mintmark appearance; examination at magnification reveals tool marks, polishing lines, or a slight depression where the mintmark was removed, all of which a genuine die-error coin will not show. The Cherrypickers' Guide attribution number for this variety is FS-501, and PCGS and NGC both certify the Strong designation with that attribution noted on the slab label. Specialists pursuing the variety should require certification rather than rely on raw coins, since the alteration risk is substantial and the price premium is significant.

Realized auction prices for the 1982 No Mintmark Strong run from roughly $50 in low-grade circulated condition through several hundred dollars in higher circulated grades to over $1,000 for the finest Mint State examples. The Strong designation commands a meaningful premium over the Weak subtype where a faint partial impression of the P remains visible. The variety appeared early enough in 1982 that examples circulated heavily before the error was widely recognized, and most surviving coins show meaningful wear; high-grade Mint State examples are the scarce tier. The 1982 No P is one of the most popular modern US error coins and a required entry for any Roosevelt dime variety set. For the broader history of die-preparation errors and the post-1980 P-mintmark era, see the Roosevelt Dime series history.