Roosevelt Dime - (Year, Circulated - Cull)
The “Roosevelt” theme is the current design of the U.S. 10-cent coin. The U.S. Mint first issued this design in 1946, soon after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Mint released it on January 30 of that year to honor his birthday. The obverse (heads) shows Roosevelt’s profile. The torch, olive branch, and oak branch on the reverse (tails) represent liberty, peace, and strength.
The dime was a logical choice for honoring Roosevelt because he supported the March of Dimes, a program that raised funds for research to find a cure for polio. He contracted polio when he was 39 years old.
The Mint made the first dimes in 1796. They were small silver coins. The designs from 1796 to 1837 showed Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. In 1837, a wreath design replaced the eagle. Liberty, in various forms, stayed on the dime until 1946.
From 1916 to 1945, the Mint produced the “Mercury” dime designed by Adolph A. Weinman. The obverse showed a profile of Liberty wearing a cap with wings to represent freedom of thought. The design got its name because it reminded people of the Roman god, Mercury. A fasces – a bundle of rods tied around an axe – and an olive branch appeared on the reverse. The two symbols represented America’s military readiness and the desire for peace. The Mercury dime is considered one of the most beautiful coins in our country’s history.
In 1965, the Mint removed silver from the dime and the composition became copper-nickel clad.
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.
- Composition: 90% Silver (0.07234 troy oz), 10% Copper
- Weight: 2.5 grams
- Diameter: 17.91 mm
- Face Value: $0.10
- Edge: Reeded
- Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
This listing uses "Reference Images"
The "Reference Images" used in this listing description were utilized by Vault Bullion and Coin for reference only to depict the comparable quality of the item you will receive. You will NOT receive the exact item, with the same certificate number, that was used for our Reference Images. However, the actual item you will receive is guaranteed to be similar to that shown and exactly as described.
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