US Dimes Values & Mintages

The disme of 1792

The ten-cent coin was part of the decimal system proposed by Thomas Jefferson and written into the Coinage Act of 1792, where it was spelled disme. Half dismes were struck that year, but the first full dimes did not appear until 1796. The early spelling faded quickly and the coin itself carried no denomination at all until 1809. Users simply recognized it by size.

Before the dime, Americans used Spanish silver coins and their fractions. The decimal dime was a deliberate break from that system, though Spanish coins remained legal tender in the United States until 1857.

Dime designs before Roosevelt

Robert Scot's Draped Bust dime ran from 1796 to 1807, first with a small eagle and then a heraldic eagle reverse. John Reich's Capped Bust dime followed from 1809 to 1837. Christian Gobrecht's Seated Liberty design lasted from 1837 to 1891 and Charles E. Barber's Liberty head from 1892 to 1916. Adolph A. Weinman's Winged Liberty Head dime of 1916 to 1945 is widely called the Mercury dime, although it shows Liberty wearing a winged cap meant to symbolize freedom of thought rather than the Roman god. Our catalog covers the Roosevelt dime only, but these earlier designs explain why the dime looks the way it does.

Weight and size changes over time

The earliest dimes were about 19 millimeters across and 89.24% silver. The adoption of a close collar in 1828 made the coin slightly smaller and more uniform. In 1837 the fineness was standardized at 90%. In 1853 the weight was reduced to stop people melting dimes for their silver. Small arrows beside the date mark the change. A small increase in 1873 brought the weight to 2.5 grams, where it stayed until 1964.

The Coinage Act of 1965 replaced silver with a copper core clad in copper-nickel, reducing the weight to 2.268 grams. The diameter of 17.91 millimeters has not changed in more than a century. The dime is the smallest and thinnest coin in circulation. Its edge has 118 reeds.

Why Roosevelt is on the dime

Franklin D. Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945. Soon after, the Treasury chose the dime to honor him because of his link to the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which he founded to fight polio. Its fundraising drive became known as the March of Dimes after supporters were asked to mail in dimes. The new coin was released on January 30, 1946, which would have been Roosevelt's 64th birthday.

Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock designed it. His initials JS appear below the bust. A persistent rumor claimed they stood for Joseph Stalin. They did not, but the story has followed the coin ever since.

Where to find the mint mark on a Roosevelt dime

From 1946 to 1964 the mint mark sits on the reverse, to the left of the base of the torch. No dimes dated 1965 to 1967 carry a mint mark. From 1968 it moved to the obverse above the date. Philadelphia dimes have carried a P since 1980. The 1982 dime without a P is a known error, as are several San Francisco proof dimes struck without their S.

How to start collecting Roosevelt dimes

The silver Roosevelt set from 1946 to 1964 is one of the most affordable complete silver sets in American coinage. It has no true rarities, so the whole run can be filled in circulated or lower mint state grades with patience. A clad set from 1965 onward can still be partly assembled from change, with proof and special issues added from Mint sets.

Collectors who want a challenge look for Full Bands coins, with the horizontal bands on the torch fully separated, or for the 1996-W, which was made only for mint sets. Store silver dimes away from rubber, paper envelopes with sulfur and PVC flips, which cause spotting and haze.

Proof Roosevelt dimes

Proof Roosevelt dimes were struck at Philadelphia from 1950 to 1964, when the Mint resumed selling proof sets after the war. Proof production moved to San Francisco in 1968, so later proofs carry an S. From 1992 the Mint added silver proof sets, so 90% silver proof dimes exist for many dates long after the circulating dime became clad. These collector coins are a good way to fill a modern date set with attractive examples, since circulated clad dimes rarely stay in nice condition. Keep proofs in their original lenses to protect the mirror fields from fingerprints and haze.

Frequently asked questions