The mintmark on a 1945-S Micro S Dime is easy to identify when compared alongside the “regular mintmark of this date. The normal S has bulbous serifs and narrower fields around the mintmark. The micro mintmark has a sharper serif and more space in the field around the “S.”
PCGS reports that it has holdered fully one third of the more valuable micro variety. The 1945-S has a mintage of 41,920,000, so literally tens of thousands are available in pocket change and bank rolls.
Value for MS65, normal mintmark, is $50; for micro, $135. In MS68, a normal 1945-S retails at $875; micro at $3,000.
The price rises for both in full bands, especially for the micro version, in as much as only 10-12 percent of those earn that designation. At gem MS65, the normal mintmark is worth $125; the micro, $875.
Look at the middle band to identify full bands. Also see this article about valuable designations.
You can find plenty of normal and micro mintmark 1945-S in gem and super gem MS67 as these coins were saved by collectors and can still be found in uncirculated rolls.
Planchets used for both mintmark are known for their rainbow toning, as in this micro MS68 example:
When purchasing on eBay, HiBid or auction sites, make sure a photo of the reverse is included so you can authenticate the micro S. This seller only photographs the obverse, so you never know what you will get.
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