The Roosevelt dime design stemmed from the country’s mourning over the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt, the 32nd President of the United States. He died in 1945 at the age of 63, around the end of World War II. The country wanted to honor this fallen leader in some way. A change in the design of the dime was suggested and used. The significance of using the dime as the coin to honor Roosevelt was his support of the March of Dimes, a movement to raise money to end polio, a condition that he had been afflicted with.

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The design of the Roosevelt dime has been debated for many years. Officially it is the work of the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver at the time, John Ray Sinnock. But it has widely been rumored that the actual design was created five years earlier by a sculptor named Selma Burke. She has given Roosevelt a base-relief as a gift.

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Since the Roosevelt dime design still appears on circulating currency, there are no rare dates for collectors to find. What collectors seek in this series are higher grades which are becoming scarce. There are also some coins that were minted before final modifications of the current-day design were made.

The Roosevelt dime has been minted at all three mints: Denver, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. The mint mark on the coin, however, has changed positions. For the first 18 years, the mint mark was found on the reverse side of the coin to the left of the base of the torch. After 1968, the mint mark was moved to the obverse side, just above the date. The Philadelphia mint mark did not appear on any dimes until 1980.

The points to check for wear on this coin is the highest point of FDR’s cheek, the hair above his ear, and on he flame and bands of the torch on the reverse side.

Besides condition, many of the Roosevelt dimes at the beginning of the series are valued based on the current price of silver. Until 1965, dimes were produced with .07234 ounce pure silver. The minimum value for silver dimes is $1. Other coins to look for are uncirculated or proof coins throughout the series and the 1949-S in AU condition. The 1949-S is worth nearly $25.

*Prices are based on values at the time this article was written. Check the Professional Coin Grading Service for current prices.