1950-S Roosevelt Dime

Roosevelt Dime

1946–Present

The Roosevelt Dime is the current ten-cent denomination in circulation. With a seventy-four year lifespan, the Roosevelt Dime is one of the most mass-produced coins in the history of the United States.

Following the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt the previous year, the Roosevelt Dime replaced the Mercury Dime in 1946. Because of Roosevelt’s work with March of Dimes, the U.S. Treasury developed a new design to celebrate his legacy. John R. Sinnock, Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1925 to 1947, was chosen to design the new dime. Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross unveiled the dime on January 30, 1946. The date was chosen for what would have been Roosevelt’s 64^th birthday.

Sinnock’s design was widely popular in post-World War II America. The obverse features a portrait of President Roosevelt facing left. Wrapping around the president’s face, “LIBERTY” is inscribed along the left rim of the coin. “IN GOD WE TRUST” is inscribed below his chin; the minting date is to the bottom right of his neck.

The reverse features an olive branch on the right, an oak branch on the left, and a torch in the middle. “ONE DIME” is inscribed along the bottom rim while “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” is inscribed along the top. Latin phrase, “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” is inscribed in a horizontal line with the words broken up by the torch and two branches.

There are two variations of this dime — the silver Roosevelt Dime (1946–1964), and the clad Roosevelt Dime (1964–Present). Between 1963 and 1965, the United States was experiencing a coin shortage with the melt value of silver rising. To combat the shortage, the U.S. began converting silver coins into copper-nickel clad. The outer layer of these dimes consists of 25% nickel and 75% copper, whereas the inner core is 100% copper.

Silver Roosevelt Dimes were minted in three different cities — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. Clad dimes were also minted in those three cities in addition to West Point. From 1965 to 1979 there was no mint mark on Philadelphia dimes. From 1980 to present, “P” represents the Philadelphia Mint. For the rest of the cities, “D” represents the Denver Mint, “S” represents the San Francisco Mint, and “W” represents the West Point Mint. Due to the mass production and young age of these coins, none of the date and mint mark combinations are considered rare. Still, uncirculated Roosevelt Dimes are appreciated by numismatists. In addition, 1996-W dimes were not intended for circulation and had under 1.5 million coins produced, meaning they could increase in value over time.

Specifications (Silver)

 Weight: 2.5 grams
Composition: 90% Silver (0.07234 troy oz), 10% Copper
Diameter: 17.91 mm
Edge: Reeded