There's no doubt that an important pedigree can increase the value of a coin. Coins with names attached like Eliasberg, Norweb, and Garrett usually command a high premium in the marketplace. While others, like The Omaha Bank Hoard, are so common, they will summon little to no premium at all.

In this journal, I will make no argument for or against the importance of a coin's pedigree. Rather, I'd simply like to compile and share some of the specific things that I've learned about silver Roosevelt dimes with notable names and pedigrees attached.

Please note that I will only be referring to names and pedigrees that are noted on NGC and PCGS slabs. In other words, if the name isn't printed on the slab, I didn't include it. And again, this list is limited to 1946 to '64 silver Roosevelts.

--------Benson--------

Silver Roosevelt dimes with the Benson name attached are certified by PCGS. There is not a lot of information to be found online about the Benson name. And, in addition to the limited information, there is more than one "Benson" in numismatics, which makes things a bit confusing.

A New York Times article, published January 31, 1909, describes an upcoming Sotheby's auction for ancient Greek coins, which belonged to a late Mr. Frank Sherman Benson¹. (The poetry guy from my last journal.)

This Mr. Benson was an active member of the American Numismatic Society (not to be confused with the American Numismatic Association) who frequently gave talks and wrote for the American Journal of Numismatics. But this is not the Benson to whom I am referring.

The New York Times article talks about coins owned by "the late Frank S. Benson". And that was 1909, so there's no way Frank S. Benson could have ever owned any Roosevelt dimes. At that time, FDR was only 27, working as a lawyer, and wouldn't become a New York Senator until two years later.

After a bit of interest research, I learned that a large collection of 20th U.S. coins with the name "Benson" attached was auctioned off by Goldberg Coins and Collectibles between 2001 and 2003. The coins in this auction were noted for their fine toning.

I wrote to Ira Goldberg of Goldberg Coins & Collectibles to inquire about the Benson name. Mr Goldberg tells me, "Yes, the Benson collection was a very important collection for us to handle at auction. The term 'Benson toning' has become synonymous with beautiful natural toning."

I thought that the Roosevelt dimes may have been assembled by a later relative of Frank S. Benson. But Mr. Goldberg tells me that these Benson coins have nothing to do with Frank S. Benson at all. The Roosevelts with the Benson name were previously owned by a living collector, who wishes to remain anonymous.

So after all that, I still don't have any information about the original owner of these Benson dimes. And after I learned that he wants to remain anonymous, I abandoned any further research into him.

Nevertheless, in my experience, Roosevelt dimes with the Benson name attached are much nicer than those attached to other pedigrees. However, most of the Roosevelt dimes that I have handled lacked the "Benson toning" that was associated with the original collection. Still, the Roosevelts that I've owned with no toning are beautiful, bright white coins with excellent luster.

But perhaps the most interesting thing that I've found on Benson Roosevelts are undesignated RPMs; specifically on 1947 S dimes.

I have owned a total of six 1947 S Roosevelts with the Benson pedigree. Of these, I found two S/S RPMs, both listed in the CherryPickers' guide under FS-503 #2. But, again, neither was designated on the slab. This suggests to me that there could be more out there with the same RPM waiting to be discovered. I'm always on the lookout for more.

Despite being quite nice coins, Benson dimes command little to no premium. However, Roosevelts with the Benson pedigree are only somewhat available. In the past three months, there have been less than 10 sold on eBay.

But if you ever come across one, and are interested in Roosevelt dimes, Benson is one of the names that you really might want to check out. They're really nice coins and you have a decent chance of finding an RPM.

1947 S Benson Roosevelt w/ undesignated RPM, MS 66: http://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.com/l6wlv5x

--------The Omaha Bank Hoard--------

The Omaha Bank Hoard pedigree is perhaps the most common pedigree found on Roosevelt dimes. There are currently around 35 Roosevelts with the Omaha Bank Hoard pedigree currently for sale on eBay, with another 35 to 40 sold within the past three months.

There are so many Roosevelts attached to this pedigree, in fact, that it is possible (and has been done) to assemble an entire 48-coin '46 -- '64 Roosevelt set with the Omaha Bank Hoard stamp.

Due to the high availability of OBH Roosevelts, they also command little to no premium. I have personally owned at least two dozen silver Roosevelt's with the OBH pedigree. And overall, I have found these dimes to average to below average in quality, with most OBH Roosevelts graded MS 65 to MS 66. I have found no OBH Roosevelt with any color to speak of and luster is, in general, also just average to below average. I do not pay a premium for this name at all.

--------The Teich Family Collection--------

The Teich Family Collection is a more recent pedigree to come to the market. The collection was put together a Dr. Samuel Teich and his family in the 1950s and 60s. The Teich Family Collection was first brought to the market in 2011 by Stacks-Bowers here in Baltimore.

The collection included some Roosevelt dimes, but no where near as many as the OBH. Roosevelts with the Teich Family pedigree are about as available as those that carry the Benson name, with under 10 being sold on eBay in the past three months.

I have personally only owned a handful of Roosevelts with the Teich pedigree. But from my experience, these dimes are some of the ugliest you'll find anywhere.

Every Roosevelt that I've seen with the Teich pedigree has been gray with little to no luster. There has been a little color on some of the Teich Roosevelts that I have owned, however nowhere near enough to make up for the lack of luster.

The few Teich Family Roosevelts that I've watched sell commanded little to no premium. And I'd say for good reason. I have not been a fan of the Teich dimes that I've handled.

1957 D Teich Roosevelt, MS 66: http://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.com/lljwlyy

1958 D Teich Roosevelt, MS 65 FB: http://outside-affiliatelinksnotallowed.com/ld28ogx

--------The Binion Collection--------

The Binion Collection is perhaps the most well-known of the pedigrees. And we all know the story by now so I won't reiterate it.

But in addition to the 100,000 silver dollars, there were a few thousand Roosevelt dimes in Binion's vault. NGC put together 2,500 silver type sets that included a peace dollar, Kennedy dollar, Washington quarter, and Roosevelt dime. Some of these sets have been broken up and the coins sold individually. But despite at least 2,500 in the market, finding a Roosevelt dime from the Binion hoard by itself on eBay is fairly uncommon, believe it or not.

Also, Binion Roosevelts perhaps command the highest premium of all the silver Roosevelts with a pedigree. Although you can pick one up for $20 to $25, all of the Roosevelts with the Binion na

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