Happy 75th Birthday to The Roosevelt Dime
While the dime may be the smallest circulating coin in the United States, its significance certainly looms large. Designed to honor the late American President, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the Roosevelt Dime was first struck in Philadelphia on January 19, 1946.
President Roosevelt is one of the most celebrated U.S. Presidents of the twentieth century, praised for his steadfast leadership throughout his unprecedented twelve years in office. His most acclaimed political achievements include jumpstarting the American economy during the Great Depression as well as joining the Allies to thwart the Axis powers in World War II.
Just three months into his unthinkable fourth term, President Roosevelt unexpectedly passed away, sending the nation into mourning. Immediately after his shocking death in 1945, the country called for its beloved leader to be honored on a piece of coinage. Since Roosevelt’s nonprofit organization aimed at combatting polio was nicknamed “March of Dimes,” the dime seemed like a perfect fit to display Roosevelt’s likeness. To make this transition even smoother, the Mint did not need to request Congressional approval for the new dime design, as the Mercury Dime had run well beyond its mandated twenty-five years of circulation.
Designing the Roosevelt Dime was a task reserved for Mint Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock, who had by that point held his post for forty years. Sinnock’s obverse design displays President Roosevelt’s left-facing profile, with the inscriptions “LIBERTY” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” engraved into the left side of the field. Sinnock’s initials, “JS,” and the date sit below the late President’s bust. The dime’s reverse showcases all of America’s finest values, as it depicts a torch to symbolize liberty, an olive sprig for peace, and an oak sprig for strength and independence.
The most intricately struck Roosevelt Dimes will receive Full Bands designations from PCGS and Full Torch designations from NGC. To qualify for PCGS’s Full Bands designation, both bands of the torch on the reverse must show complete separation. For NGC, on the other hand, there is one more qualification. In addition to the full separation of the bands on the torch, the vertical lines of the torch must be well-defined.
The Roosevelt Dime was officially released on January 30, 1946, which would have been President Roosevelt’s sixty-fourth birthday. The coin had originally been struck from 90% silver, but silver hoarding across the country forced Congress to sign the Coinage Act of 1965. As a result of this act, the Roosevelt Dime’s composition was changed to 75% copper and 25% nickel.
Due to Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s heroic leadership throughout some of the most taxing times in our country’s history, the Roosevelt Dime continues to be an American favorite after seventy-five years of mintage.
