Dime · 1946–2026

Roosevelt Dime

Franklin D. Roosevelt faces left with LIBERTY along the rim, IN GOD WE TRUST at lower left, and the date at lower right. A lit torch stands between an olive branch and an oak branch, with ONE DIME below.

Designer

John R. Sinnock

Diameter

17.91 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Reverse left of the torch base through 1964; obverse (front) above the date from 1968 onward

Composition

1946–1964: 90% silver, 10% copper · 2.5 g Silver

1965–2026: Copper-nickel clad over a pure copper core · 2.27 g

Did you know? The dime honors Roosevelt partly because he founded the March of Dimes to fight polio, and the coin debuted in January 1946 on what would have been his 64th birthday.

Beginner tip: Check the date first — 1964 and earlier dimes are 90% silver and always worth a couple of dollars minimum, and a solid copper stripe on the edge instantly tells you a dime is clad, not silver.

Key dates to look for

1949-S Roosevelt Dime

$5+ circulated, $40+ uncirculated

Lowest-mintage circulating silver Roosevelt at 13.5 million — the series semi-key

1950-S Roosevelt Dime

$4+ circulated

Another low-mintage San Francisco date worth pulling from silver lots

1955 Roosevelt Dime

$3+ circulated

Just 12.8 million struck in Philadelphia, the lowest business-strike total of the series

1996-W Roosevelt Dime

$15 – $30 uncirculated

First and only W-mint dime, made for the design's 50th anniversary and sold only in 1996 mint sets — never released to circulation

Valuable varieties & errors

1964-D Doubled Die Reverse

scarce

$25 – $250+

A misaligned second hubbing at Denver doubled the reverse lettering in the final year of silver dimes. It is one of the most collected Roosevelt dime doubled dies.

How to check: With a loupe, check ONE DIME and UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the back for clear, shelf-free doubling — the strongest spread shows on ONE DIME and the torch. True doubling looks like two rounded overlapping letters, not the flat shelf of machine doubling.

1968 No S Proof

extreme

$8,000 – $25,000+

A San Francisco proof die was put into service before the S mint mark was punched into it, so a small number of 1968 proof dimes have no mint mark at all. Only a few dozen are known, all from proof sets.

How to check: This only exists as a proof — mirror-like fields and frosty design, found in 1968 proof sets. Check above the date on the front: a genuine No S has absolutely no trace of a mint mark and full, sharp proof detail. A regular circulation 1968 dime with no mark is just a normal Philadelphia coin, not this variety.

1970 No S Proof

rare

$400 – $1,500+

The same slip happened again in 1970: a proof die missing its S mint mark struck an estimated couple thousand dimes that ended up in proof sets. It is the most affordable of the No S proof dimes.

How to check: Look through original 1970 proof sets. The dime must have deep mirror surfaces and no mint mark above the date. Ordinary 1970 dimes from pocket change without a mark are common Philadelphia strikes and worth face value.

1975 No S Proof

extreme

$450,000+ (only two known)

Only two 1975 proof dimes without the S mint mark are known to exist, making this one of the rarest US coins of the last century. One sold for over $500,000 at auction.

How to check: It can only come from a 1975 proof set, so check the dime in any sealed 1975 set for a missing mint mark above the date. Both known examples are accounted for, so treat any new claim with extreme skepticism and get professional authentication before celebrating.

1982 No P (No Mint Mark)

rare

$50 – $300+

In 1982 a Philadelphia die was never punched with its P mint mark, and thousands of the coins reached circulation — many turning up in the Sandusky, Ohio area. It is the only circulating No Mint Mark variety of the modern era.

How to check: Check 1982 dimes for a completely missing mint mark above the date. Genuine examples are typically sharply struck; a weak or mushy coin with a faint mark is likely just a grease-filled die and worth little. Strong-strike examples bring the best prices.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Doubled Die (Reverse)

Same as a doubled die obverse, but the doubling appears on the back of the coin.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Missing Clad Layer

A dime, quarter, or half is missing its outer silver-colored layer on one side, exposing the copper core.

Off-Center Strike

The blank wasn't centered when struck, so part of the design is missing and part of the coin is blank.

Broadstrike

The coin was struck without its retaining collar, so it spread out wider and thinner than normal.

Clipped Planchet

A bite-shaped piece of the coin is missing because the blank was punched from an already-punched part of the metal strip.

Wrong Planchet

A coin struck on a blank intended for a different denomination or country — like a quarter design on a nickel blank.

Grease-Filled Die (Struck Through Grease)

Grease and debris packed into the die's recesses blocked part of the design, leaving weak or missing details.

Strike-Through

A foreign object — cloth, wire, grease, or a metal fragment — was on the blank when it was struck, leaving its impression in the coin.

Improperly Annealed Planchet

A heat-treatment mistake turned the blank's surface an unusual color — most famously the coppery-red 'sintered' state quarters and dollars.

Machine Doubling

The die bounced or chattered at the moment of striking, smearing a flat shelf-like second edge onto the design.

Die Clash

The dies slammed together with no coin between them, imprinting each side's design faintly onto the other.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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