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Roosevelt
Dimes
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1946 - to date
Who really designed the Roosevelt Dime? Was it
the U. S. Mint's Chief Engraver, John Ray Sinnock, whose
initials appear on the coins first minted in 1946, or was it
sculptor Selma Burke, whose bas-relief submitted as a gift to
the President five years earlier bears an uncanny resemblance
to the portrait actually used? This nagging question has been
raised repeatedly during recent years, and it remains a
subject of debate among numismatic scholars.
What is known for certain is that the American public in 1945
was clamoring for some memorial to their fallen leader, whose
passing had come just as he was about to enjoy a sweet victory
after years of struggle and worry. As World War II was nearing
its end in April of that year, Franklin Delano Roosevelt
breathed his last, and the free world mourned. The nation's
only four-term president died at 63, aged beyond his years by
twin burdens of the greatest economic depression in the
nation's history and the most devastating war of all time.
Within the Treasury Department, plans were quickly laid for
the introduction of a new coin to honor Roosevelt. Since the
late president had been afflicted with polio, or infantile
paralysis as it was then commonly known, it seemed only
natural to place his portrait on the dime. This humble coin
was symbolic of the struggle to end polio through the "March
of Dimes" fundraising campaign, a project begun during
Roosevelt's first term.
In a break with its 40-year tradition of enlisting outside
artists in the design of new coins, the Mint assigned this
task to Chief Engraver Sinnock. His initial models were
submitted to the federal Commission of Fine Arts by Acting
Mint Director Leland Howard on October 12, 1945. The
Commission rejected them on very specific grounds and
recommended an invitational competition for the design of the
new dime, naming five accomplished sculptors as candidates.
Given the allowable time frame (the coins had to be ready for
issue when the 1946 March of Dimes campaign kicked off on the
late president's birthday, January 30), this suggestion was
quickly rejected by Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross.
Instead, Sinnock went back to his workshop to make the desired
improvements. His small head of Roosevelt with large mottos
was replaced by the now familiar, larger portrait with a
miniscule IN GOD WE TRUST. As it fit the available space,
LIBERTY remained in large letters but was moved to the left
from its former position directly above the portrait. The
date, and Sinnock's initials JS, were quite small and appeared
below the truncation of Roosevelt's neck. The reverse featured
an upright torch, symbolizing freedom, flanked by branches of
olive and oak, respectively denoting peace and victory. The
motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was awkwardly spaced between these
elements in a single line. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE
DIME were arranged in arcs around the periphery, separated
from one another by ornamental dots. At the eleventh hour,
these revised models were approved on January 8, 1946 by the
Commission of Fine Arts and Treasury Secretary Fred Vinson.
Accompanying this announcement was an order from Director Ross
to commence the production of hubs and dies immediately and to
begin coinage as soon as possible.
As they would decades later with the claims raised by Selma
Burke, John Sinnock's initials JS on the dime provided
controversy from the outset. Americans, newly awakened to the
post-war threat posed by the Soviet Union, were beginning to
imagine Communists behind every tree. A persistent rumor
spread that the initials JS were those of Soviet leader Joseph
Stalin. As absurd as this may seem today, enough Americans
were alarmed by the possibility of Communist influence that
the Mint was forced to issue a statement identifying the
coin's creator and refuting the claims of "Reds" being
harbored within its venerable walls.
Coined by the millions every year from 1946 onward, the
Roosevelt Dime series has no rare dates, and the only
challenge in completing a collection lies in locating scarce
varieties or condition rarities. A number of minor hub changes
have occurred, the first appearing in 1946 when it was
realized that parts of the obverse design were indistinct,
including the controversial initials JS. Other modifications
are noted during 1964 and 1981. Since then, new hubs have been
introduced frequently. This is to compensate for the wear
which results from the repeated die sinkings required to meet
modern demands for additional coinage. These new hubs appear
almost annually, but the changes are so slight as to go
unnoticed except by specialists.
Roosevelt dimes have been coined at three mints: Philadelphia,
Denver and San Francisco. From 1946 through 1964, the mintmark
location was just to the left of the base of the torch. From
1968 onward, mintmarks appear above the date. Those struck in
Philadelphia carried no mintmark until a letter P was
introduced beginning in 1980. Roosevelt dimes coined at the
mints in Denver and San Francisco have always been identified
by letters D and S, respectively, except during the years
1965-67 when these mintmarks were omitted. All three mints
made dimes for circulation through 1955; in March of that
year, San Francisco ceased the minting of coins, and for the
next ten years its mint was used exclusively as an assay
office. The other two mints continued alone until 1965, when
the West Coast facility was reactivated in an effort to
overcome a nationwide coin shortage. Silver dimes dated 1964
and carrying no mintmark were struck in San Francisco during
the last months of 1965.
Although there are no rare dates in the Roosevelt dime series
and it is easily completed in mint state, several issues carry
notable premiums, particularly in grades MS-65 and higher.
These include all of the 1948 and 1949 dimes, 1950-S and
1951-S. Despite their much lower than normal mintages, the
three issues dated 1955 were widely hoarded and carry only
modest premiums. The only regular-issue coin worth more than
its silver bullion value in circulated grades is 1949-S.
Points to check for wear on the Roosevelt dime include the
highpoints of FDR's hair and cheek and the flame and
horizontal bands of the torch.
Proofs were coined at the Philadelphia Mint beginning in 1950,
and this date through 1955 are all worth more than subsequent
proofs. Coinage of proofs was suspended with the adoption of
copper-nickel clad dimes in 1965. No proofs were coined with
the dates 1965, 1966 and 1967, but "special mint sets" were
coined at the San Francisco Mint that have a prooflike quality
to their surfaces. These are not as boldly struck as true
proofs. In addition, less care was taken in their handling,
and they frequently display nicks and abrasion, even when
found in their original packaging. Proof coinage resumed in
1968, this time at the San Francisco Mint. The S-Mint dimes
dated 1968 to date are true proofs bearing the letter S and
were made exclusively for sale to collectors. Since 1992,
these have been coined in both the conventional clad
composition and at the old silver standard. The Philadelphia
and Denver Mints continue to produce copper-nickel clad dimes
for general circulation.
SPECIFICATIONS:
1946 - 1964
Diameter: 17.9 millimeters
Weight: 2.50 grams (silver)
Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper
Net Weight: .07234 ounce pure silver
1965- to date
Weight: 2.27 grams
(CuNi-clad) Composition: .750 copper, .250 nickel bonded to
pure copper
Edge: Reeded
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1947-S
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1951-D
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1952
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1958-D
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1959-D
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1950-D Roosevelt Dime/ BU
Roosevelt Dime Whitman Folder
ANACS MS-66 1981 P Roosevelt Dime **FULL SPLIT BANDS**
1960 P GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime Silver 90% US COINS PF
QTY-6 1959-P Roosevelt Dime
1961 P GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime Silver 90% US COINS PF
1962 P GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime Silver 90% US COINS PF
ROOSEVELT DIME COLLECTION 1965 TO 2004
2 rolls (100) Roosevelt SILVER Dimes 1964 & earlier
1963 P GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime Silver 90% US COINS PF
1964 P GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime Silver 90% US COINS PF
Silver Roosevelt Dime Roll 50 coin roll AU to BU
1965 P SMS Roosevelt Dime US COINS Special Mint Set
1966 P SMS Roosevelt Dime US COINS Special Mint Set
1967 P SMS Roosevelt Dime US COINS Special Mint Set
1968 S GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime US COINS PF
1969 S GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime US COINS PF
68 SILVER ROOSEVELT DIMES--ALL SILVER
1970 S GEM PROOF Roosevelt Dime US COINS PF Deep Cameo
2008 D BU ROOSEVELT DIME BANK WRAPPED ROLL *OBW*
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