Can You Still Find 1875–1878 Double Dimes at Flea Markets? A Picker’s Guide to Raw Twenty-Cent Coins, Pawn-Shop Leads, and Smart Haggling

The days of easy finds are mostly gone, but I still believe the right flea market can change that. Yes, an 1875–1878 double dime can still surface in a mixed lot. To me, the United States twenty-cent coin is an ideal flea-market target: obscure enough to be misidentified, small enough to hide in a mixed tray, and historically compelling enough to earn a specialist’s attention.

I have watched double dimes overlooked beside dimes, quarters, jewelry, and unattributed silver. I have also watched knowledgeable sellers protect every one of them. Winning is not about rummaging faster than everyone else. It comes from understanding the series, spotting underpriced inventory, evaluating raw coins without wishful thinking, and building relationships that bring the best material to me first.

Why Flea-Market Vendors Keep Overlooking the Double Dime

The twenty-cent piece was authorized in 1874, struck beginning in 1875, and discontinued after 1878. Charles E. Barber designed the compact silver coin during an experiment to provide convenient change, particularly in western commerce and mining regions. It was legal tender, but it never became a familiar part of everyday transactions.

That brief run creates a real sourcing opportunity. Many sellers recognize a dime, a quarter, or a silver dollar. Far fewer know that a 21-millimeter silver coin marked 20 CENTS may be one of the most intriguing oddities in American numismatics.

The dates and mintages every picker should know

• 1875 Philadelphia: 1,155,000 minted
• 1875-S: 660,000 minted
• 1875-CC: 22,500 minted
• 1876 Philadelphia: 463,000 minted
• 1876-S: 540,000 minted
• 1876-CC: 3,750 minted
• 1877 Philadelphia: 20,000 minted
• 1877-S: 36,000 minted
• 1878 Philadelphia: 1,035,000 minted
• 1878-S: 620,000 minted
• 1878-CC: 10,000 minted

The 1876-CC is the celebrated key date, but I never ignore the 1878-CC or the low-mintage 1877 issues. Philadelphia pieces carry no mintmark; an S or CC appears on the reverse below the eagle. When a coin looks ordinary, I inspect its lettering and mintmark for signs of a rare variety. Survivorship, grade, strike, and eye appeal—not mintage alone—drive collectibility and numismatic value.

Original mintage tells only part of the story. Many early U.S. silver coins were melted, exported, or lost. For the 1875 issues, survival estimates are commonly discussed in the rough range of 20,000 to 30,000 pieces, although no estimate is exact. A coin can have a large original mintage and still be genuinely scarce in collectible condition.

Where I Hunt for Double Dimes

Flea-market locations worth checking

I never confine my search to the established coin dealer’s table. The best opportunities often sit in the inventory around it. I check:

• Loose silver and mixed-coin trays
• Old Whitman folders and envelope packets
• Boxes labeled foreign coins, silver coins, or miscellaneous metal
• Estate lots that have not been individually sorted
• Jewelry lots containing small silver pieces
• Pawn-shop display cases and locked back-room trays
• Old stamps, receipts, and paper ephemera kept with coin collections

A collector once reported finding an 1875-S in a blue Whitman folder. That story reminds me why I never dismiss old holders. A plain holder can preserve clues to provenance that a flea-market vendor overlooks. I treat it as a lead, not proof of value, and I still examine the coin independently—checking its date, mintmark, strike, luster, patina, wear, and eye appeal.

My first ten minutes at a table

1. Ask permission. I introduce myself, explain that I collect United States silver, and ask whether I may inspect the loose coins.
2. Scan the entire group. I begin with the small silver pieces before focusing on the obvious dates.
3. Check the edge. A reeded edge on a small silver-colored coin deserves a second look.
4. Read every date. I separate every 20 CENTS piece from dimes, half dimes, and foreign coinage.
5. Inspect the reverse. The mintmark below the eagle can transform the purchase. I also watch for a rare variety and never pay mint-condition money unless the strike, luster, and overall eye appeal support the claim.
6. Ask what came together. Before I make an offer, I ask what came together. A coin in an old envelope may have companions that were sold or discarded separately.

Related Resources

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