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Dime (United States coin)

 
Dime (United States Coin)

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Dime (United States coin)



 
 
The dime is a coin
United States coinage

United States coinage was first minted by the new republic in 1792. New coins have been produced every year since then and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States United States currency....
 worth ten
50 (number)

This article discusses the number fifty. For the year 50 CE, see 50. For other uses of 50, see 50 50 is the integer following 49 and preceding 51 ....
 cents
Cent (currency)

In many national currency, the cent is a money Units of measurement that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit. The word also refers to the coin which is worth one cent....
 or one tenth of a United States dollar
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
. The dime is the smallest in diameter
Diameter

In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle....
 and the thinnest of all U.S. coins currently minted for circulation. The 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
, is featured on the obverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
 of the current design
Design

Design is used both as a noun and a verb. The term is often tied to the various applied arts and engineering . As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and planning for a product, structure, system, or component with intention....
, while a torch
Torch

Originally, a torch was a portable source of fire used as a source of light, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end....
, oak
Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus , which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus....
 branch
Branch

A branch or tree branch is a woody structural Limb connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree . Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs.....
, and olive branch
Olive branch

The olive branch is a branch of an olive tree. In Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, it symbolizes peace or goodwill....
 covering the motto
Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
 E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum

E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One," is a motto requested by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and found in 1776 on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit c?ptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782....
 are featured on the reverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
. The dime's value
Value (economics)

The economic value of a good or service has puzzled economists since the beginning of the discipline. First, economists tried to estimate the value of a good to an individual alone, and extend that definition to goods which can be exchanged....
 is labelled as "one dime," since the term 'dime' also applies to a unit of currency worth 10 cents or 1/10 of a dollar.

The dime was commissioned by the Coinage Act of 1792, and production began in 1796.






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The dime is a coin
United States coinage

United States coinage was first minted by the new republic in 1792. New coins have been produced every year since then and they make up a valuable aspect of the United States United States currency....
 worth ten
50 (number)

This article discusses the number fifty. For the year 50 CE, see 50. For other uses of 50, see 50 50 is the integer following 49 and preceding 51 ....
 cents
Cent (currency)

In many national currency, the cent is a money Units of measurement that equals 1/100 of the basic monetary unit. The word also refers to the coin which is worth one cent....
 or one tenth of a United States dollar
United States dollar

The United States dollar is the unit of currency of the United States and was defined by the Coinage Act of 1792 to be between 371 and 416 grains of silver ....
. The dime is the smallest in diameter
Diameter

In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle....
 and the thinnest of all U.S. coins currently minted for circulation. The 32nd President, Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
, is featured on the obverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
 of the current design
Design

Design is used both as a noun and a verb. The term is often tied to the various applied arts and engineering . As a verb, "to design" refers to the process of originating and planning for a product, structure, system, or component with intention....
, while a torch
Torch

Originally, a torch was a portable source of fire used as a source of light, usually a rod-shaped piece of wood with a rag soaked in pitch and/or some other flammable material wrapped around one end....
, oak
Oak

The term oak can be used as part of the common name of any of about 400 species of trees and shrubs in the genus Quercus , which are listed in the List of Quercus species, and some related genera, notably Lithocarpus....
 branch
Branch

A branch or tree branch is a woody structural Limb connected to but not part of the central trunk of a tree . Large branches are known as boughs and small branches are known as twigs.....
, and olive branch
Olive branch

The olive branch is a branch of an olive tree. In Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, it symbolizes peace or goodwill....
 covering the motto
Motto

A motto is a phrase meant to formally describe the general motivation or intention of a social group or organization. A motto may be in any language, but Latin is the most used....
 E pluribus unum
E pluribus unum

E pluribus unum, Latin for "Out of Many, One," is a motto requested by Pierre Eugene du Simitiere and found in 1776 on the Seal of the United States, along with Annuit c?ptis and Novus ordo seclorum, and adopted by an Act of Congress in 1782....
 are featured on the reverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
. The dime's value
Value (economics)

The economic value of a good or service has puzzled economists since the beginning of the discipline. First, economists tried to estimate the value of a good to an individual alone, and extend that definition to goods which can be exchanged....
 is labelled as "one dime," since the term 'dime' also applies to a unit of currency worth 10 cents or 1/10 of a dollar.

The dime was commissioned by the Coinage Act of 1792, and production began in 1796. A feminine head representing Liberty
Liberty (goddess)

Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British Empire "Britannia" or the Irish people "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
 was used on the front of the coin, and an eagle
Eagle

Eagles are large bird of prey which are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several Genus which are not necessarily closely related to each other....
 was used on the back. The front and back of the dime used these motifs
Motif (art)

File:Ajanta Entrance cave 17.jpgFile:TajFlowerCloseUp.jpgIn art, a motif is a repeated idea, pattern, image, or theme. Paisley are referred to as motifs....
 for three different designs through 1837. The composition and diameter of the dime have changed throughout its mintage. Initially the dime was 0.75 inch (19 millimeters) wide, but it was changed to its present size of 0.705 inch (17.91 millimeters) in 1828. The composition (initially 89.24 percent silver
Silver

Silver is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal....
 and 10.76 percent copper
Copper

Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29.It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity....
) remained constant until 1837, when it was altered to 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. Dimes with this composition were minted until 1966, although those minted in 1965 and 1966 bear the date 1964. Beginning in 1965, dimes also began to be minted with a clad
Cladding

Cladding is the covering of one material with another. It has different meanings depending on the context....
 composition of cupronickel
Cupronickel

Cupronickel or Coppernickel is an alloy of copper, nickel and strengthening impurities, such as iron and manganese. Cupronickel does not corrosion in seawater, because its electrode potential is adjusted to be neutral with regard to seawater....
; this composition is still in use today.

The term dime comes from old French "di(s)me", meaning "tithe
Tithe

A tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a voluntary contribution or as a tax or levy, usually to support a Christian religious organization....
" or "tenth part," from the Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 decima [pars]. This term appeared on early pattern coin
Pattern coin

A pattern coin is a coin produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design, but which was not approved for general circulation. They are often off-metal strikes, to proof standard or piedforts....
s, but was not used on any dimes until 1837.

General history

The first known proposal for a decimal-based coinage system in the United States was made in 1783 by Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States , the principal author of the United States Declaration of Independence , and one of the most influential Founding Fathers of the United States for his promotion of the ideals of republicanism in the United States....
, Benjamin Franklin
Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States of the United States. A noted polymath, Franklin was a leading author and Printer , Satire, list of political philosophers, politician, scientist, inventor, activism, statesman, and diplomacy....
, Alexander Hamilton
Alexander Hamilton

Alexander Hamilton was the first Secretary of the Treasury, a Founding Fathers of the United States, economist, and political philosopher. He led calls for the Philadelphia Convention, was one of America's first Constitutional lawyers, and cowrote the Federalist Papers, a primary source for Constitutional interpretation....
, and David Rittenhouse
David Rittenhouse

David Rittenhouse was a renowned United States astronomer, inventor, clockmaker, mathematician, Surveyor , scientific instrument craftsman, and public official....
. Hamilton, the nation's first Secretary of the Treasury
United States Secretary of the Treasury

The United States Secretary of the Treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, concerned with finance and monetary matters, and, until 2003, some issues of national security and defense....
, recommended the issuance of six such coins in 1791, in a report to Congress
United States Congress

The United States Congress is the Bicameralism legislature of the Federal government of the United States of the United States of America, consisting of two houses, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives....
. Among the six was a silver coin, "which shall be, in weight and value, one tenth part of a silver unit or dollar." His suggested name for the new coin was a "tenth."

The Coinage Act of 1792, passed on April 2, 1792, authorized the mintage of a "disme," one-tenth the silver weight and value of a dollar. The composition of the disme was set at 89.24 percent silver and 10.76 percent copper. In 1792, a limited number of dismes were minted but never circulated. Some of these were struck in copper, indicating that the 1792 dismes were in fact pattern coin
Pattern coin

A pattern coin is a coin produced for the purpose of evaluating a proposed coin design, but which was not approved for general circulation. They are often off-metal strikes, to proof standard or piedforts....
s. The first dimes minted for circulation did not appear until 1796, due to a lack of demand for the coin and production problems at the United States Mint
United States Mint

The United States Mint primarily produces circulating currency for the United States to conduct its trade and commerce. The main Mint facility is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and branch mint are located in Denver, Colorado; San Francisco, California; and West Point, New York....
.

The original dime, now referred to as the Draped Bust dime, contained no markings to indicate the coin's value. This continued until the issuance of the Capped Bust dime in 1809. The Capped Bust dime bore a "10 C." mark on its reverse. The mintage of the dime during the Draped Bust/Capped Bust period was not regular—the Draped Bust was not minted in 1799 or 1806, while in the period from 1809 to 1820, the Capped Bust was minted only in 1809, 1811, 1814, and 1820. The dime has been minted nearly every year since 1827, although some years have seen extremely limited mintage figures.

In 1837, the dime was altered to incorporate the Seated Liberty
United States Seated Liberty coinage

The "Seated Liberty" designs appeared on most regular-issue silver United States coinage during the mid- and late-nineteenth century, from 1836 through 1891....
 design, which had debuted the previous year with the dollar coin. In addition, changes to the dime's diameter and silver content were made. The Seated Liberty dime was minted for 54 years, the longest stretch for any design until the Roosevelt dime reached its 55th year in 2001.

In 1892 the Barber
United States Barber coinage

Liberty Head designs appeared on United States minor silver coinage from 1892 to 1916. They derive their common name from their designer, Chief Engraver Charles E....
 dime debuted, and it lasted until 1916. Of the Barber dime series, the 1894-S is particularly notable; only 24 examples are known to have been struck, of which only nine are known to still exist. One such example sold for US$1.3 million at an auction on March 7, 2005, the most ever paid for a dime in auction.

The Barber dime design was replaced in 1916 by the Winged Liberty Head design, more commonly referred to as the Mercury dime. The figure on the coin's obverse is often thought to be the Roman
Roman mythology

Roman mythology, or more appropriately, Latin mythology, refers to the mythology beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its main city, Rome....
 god Mercury
Mercury (mythology)

In Roman mythology, Mercury was a messenger, and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas, also known as Ops, the Roman version of Cronus, and Jupiter ....
, but is in fact a depiction of Liberty
Liberty (goddess)

Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British Empire "Britannia" or the Irish people "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
 (all other dimes except the Roosevelt dime feature an image of Liberty as well). The Mercury dime is considered to be one of the most visually appealing of all U.S. coins, and is highly sought after by collectors.

The Mercury dime was replaced in 1946 by the Roosevelt dime, designed in honor of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
, who died in April 1945. Although other coins were eligible for an updated design (the design of any coin may be changed without Congressional approval after 25 years), the dime was chosen due to Roosevelt's work in founding the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute virus infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route....
, even then unofficially known as the March of Dimes, a name it later officially adopted. Although the dime has not undergone any major design changes since its introduction, its composition changed significantly in 1965. The Coinage Act of 1965
Coinage Act of 1965

The Coinage Act of 1965, , eliminated silver from the circulating dimes and quarter dollars of the United States, and diminished the silver content of the Half dollar from 90% to 40%....
 removed the silver content from the dime (as well as the quarter
Quarter (United States coin)

A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth 1/4 of a United States United States dollar, or 25 Cent . The quarter has been produced since 1796....
 and, in 1971, the half dollar
Half dollar (United States coin)

The half dollar of the United States, sometimes known as the fifty-cent piece, has been United States Mint coin production nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794....
), and replaced it with a clad composition of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Dimes with the silver composition were minted in 1965 and 1966 but bore the date 1964 to increase mintage figures and prevent hoarding of it. The clad
Cladding

Cladding is the covering of one material with another. It has different meanings depending on the context....
 Roosevelt dime is currently in circulation, and no major design changes are planned. An attempt was made by Congressional Republicans
Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
 in 2003 to replace Roosevelt's image with that of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California . Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s, where he was an actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild , and a spokesman for General Electric ....
, but this was short-lived.

The reeded edge on the modern dime is a holdover from earlier designs. The reeding was placed on gold and silver coins to discourage counterfeiting and fraudulent use, such as filing down the edges to collect the dust for profit. Currently, none of the coins produced for circulation contain precious metals. However, the continued use of reeded edges on current circulating coinage of larger denominations is useful to the visually impaired. The edge of a modern dime has 118 ridges.

Design history

Since its introduction in 1796, the dime has been issued in six different major types. The name for each type indicates the design on the coin's obverse
Obverse and reverse

The term obverse, and its antonym, reverse, describe the two sides of units of currency and many other kinds of two-sided objects, most often in reference to coins, but also to flags , medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art....
, the Barber dime excepted.

  • Draped Bust 1796–1807
  • Capped Bust 1809–1837
  • Seated Liberty
    United States Seated Liberty coinage

    The "Seated Liberty" designs appeared on most regular-issue silver United States coinage during the mid- and late-nineteenth century, from 1836 through 1891....
     1837–1891
  • Barber
    United States Barber coinage

    Liberty Head designs appeared on United States minor silver coinage from 1892 to 1916. They derive their common name from their designer, Chief Engraver Charles E....
     1892–1916
  • Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) 1916–1945
  • Roosevelt 1946–present


From 1796 to 1837, dimes were composed of 89.24 percent silver and 10.76 percent copper, the value of which required the coins to be very small to prevent their intrinsic value
Intrinsic value (numismatics)

Intrinsic value, in general, is the argument that the value of a product is intrinsic within the product rather than dependent on the buyer's perception....
 being worth more than face value
Face value

Face value is the value of a coin, Postage stamp or paper money, as printed on the coin, stamp or bill itself by the minting authority. While the face value usually refers to the true value of the coin, stamp or bill in question it can sometimes be largely symbolic, as is often the case with bullion coins....
. The composition was altered slightly in 1837 with the introduction of the Seated Liberty dime; the silver content was increased to 90 percent, while the copper content was reduced to 10 percent. To maintain the intrinsic value of the new dime, its diameter was reduced from 18.8 millimeters (0.740 inch) to its current figure of 17.9 millimeters (0.705 inch).

With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965
Coinage Act of 1965

The Coinage Act of 1965, , eliminated silver from the circulating dimes and quarter dollars of the United States, and diminished the silver content of the Half dollar from 90% to 40%....
, the dime's silver content was removed. Dimes from 1965 to the present are composed of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. Starting in 1992, the U.S. Mint began issuing Silver Proof Sets
Proof coinage

Proof coinage means special early samples of a coin issue, historically made for checking the die s and for archival purposes, but nowadays often struck in greater numbers specially for coin Collecting ....
 annually, which contain dimes composed of the pre-1965 standard of 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. These sets are intended solely for collectors, and are not meant for general circulation.

Draped Bust (1796–1807)

Draped Bust Dime
The first dime to be circulated was the Draped Bust dime, in 1796. It featured the same obverse and reverse as all other circulating coins of the time, the so-called Draped Bust/Small Eagle design. This design was the work of then-Chief Engraver Robert Scot
Robert Scot

Robert Scot was the first Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from its inception in 1793 until his death in 1823. He was succeeded by William Kneass....
. The portrait of Liberty on the obverse was based on a Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart

Gilbert Charles Stuart was an American Painting from Rhode Island.Gilbert Stuart is widely considered to be one of America's foremost portraitists....
 drawing of prominent Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Philadelphia is the largest city in Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population city in the United States. It is the fifth-largest metropolitan area and fourth-largest urban area by population in the United States, the nation's fourth-largest consumer media market as ranked by the Nielsen Media Research, and the 49th-most...
 socialite
Socialite

A socialite is a person who is known to be a part of fashionable Upper class because of his or her regular participation in social activities and fondness for spending a significant amount of time Entertainment and being entertained....
 Ann Willing Bingham, wife of noted American statesman William Bingham
William Bingham

William Bingham was an United States statesman from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a delegate for Pennsylvania to the Continental Congress from 1786 to 1788 and served in the United States Senate from 1795 to 1801....
. The reverse design is of a small Bald Eagle
Bald Eagle

The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America that is most recognizable as the List of national birds and national symbol of the United States....
 surrounded by palm and olive branches, and perched on a cloud
Cloud

A cloud is a visible mass of Drop or frozen crystals floating in the Celestial body atmosphere above the surface of the Earth or another planetary body....
. Since the Coinage Act of 1792 required only that the cent and half cent
Half cent (United States coin)

The half cent coin was produced in the United States from 1793-1857. The half-cent piece was made of 100% copper. It was slightly smaller than a modern Quarter , with a diameter of 23.5 mm ....
 display their denomination
Denomination (currency)

Denomination is a proper description of a currency amount, usually for coins or banknotes. Denominations may also be used with other means of payment like Scrips....
, Draped Bust dimes were minted with no indication of their value.

All 1796 dimes have 15 stars on the obverse, representing the number of states
U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 state of the United States that share sovereignty with the federal government of the United States . Because of this shared sovereignty, an United States is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of Domicile ....
 then in the Union. The first 1797 dimes were minted with 16 stars, reflecting Tennessee
Tennessee

Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States United States. In 1796, it became the sixteenth state to join the United States....
's admission as the 16th state. Realizing that the practice of adding one star per state could quickly clutter the coin's design, U.S. Mint Director Elias Boudinot
Elias Boudinot

Elias Boudinot was a lawyer and statesman from Elizabeth, New Jersey who was a delegate to the Continental Congress and a United States House of Representatives for New Jersey....
 ordered a design alteration, to feature just 13 stars (for the thirteen original colonies
Thirteen Colonies

The Thirteen Colonies were part of what became known as British America, a name that was used by Great Britain until the Treaty of Paris recognized the independence of the original thirteen United States of America in 1783....
). Therefore, 1797 dimes can be found with either 13 or 16 stars.

Also designed by Robert Scot, the Heraldic Eagle reverse design made its debut in 1798. The obverse continued from the previous series, but the eagle on the reverse was changed from the widely criticized "scrawny" hatchling to a scaled-down version of the Great Seal of the United States
Great Seal of the United States

The Great Seal of the United States is used to authenticate certain documents issued by the Federal government of the United States. The phrase is used both for the physical seal itself , and more generally for the design impressed upon it....
. The Draped Bust/Heraldic Eagles series continued through 1807 (although no dimes dated 1799 or 1806 were minted). Both Draped Bust designs were composed of 89.24 percent silver and 10.76 percent copper.

Capped Bust (1809–1837)

Capped Bust Dime
The Draped Bust design was succeeded by the Capped Bust, designed by Mint Assistant Engraver John Reich. Both the obverse and reverse were changed extensively. The new reverse featured a Bald Eagle grasping three arrows (symbolizing strength) and an olive branch (symbolizing peace). Covering the eagle's breast is a U.S. shield with six horizontal lines and 13 vertical stripes. Also on the reverse is the lettering "10C," making it the only dime minted with an explicit indication of its value (subsequent issues are inscribed with the words "ONE DIME").

Capped Bust dimes minted through 1828 are known as the Large type. This is partially because they were struck without a restraining collar, which gave them a broader appearance. In 1828, Chief Engraver William Kneass
William Kneass

William Kneass worked as an engraver in Philadelphia from 1805 to 1840, and became the second chief engraver of the United States Mint on January 29, 1824....
 introduced the close collar method of coining (which automated the process of placing reeds on a coin's edge). In addition to standardizing the diameter of coins, the new method allowed the Mint to produce thicker coins. To maintain a standard weight and alloy, the diameter of most coins was reduced. In particular, the dime was reduced in diameter from 18.8 to 18.5 millimeters. This new Capped Bust dime, which began production in 1828, is known as the Small type.

Seated Liberty (1837–1891)

Seated Liberty Dime
Christian Gobrecht
Christian Gobrecht

Christian Gobrecht was third Chief Engraver of the United States Mint from 1835 until his death in 1844. He was responsible for the famous "United States Seated Liberty coinage" designs, which were in turn the direct inspiration for the design of the Trade Dollar ....
 completed the design of this dime, whose obverse was used with every circulating silver U.S. coin of the period. Mint Director Robert Maskell Patterson requested a new coin design, to be reminiscent of the Britannia
Britannia

Britannia was the term originally used by the Roman Empire to refer to the island of Great Britain. The term was later used to describe a Roman province covering much of the island, apart from the area beyond the Antonine Wall belonging to the Picts in the north, which was known as Caledonia....
 image found on coinage of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland was the formal name and the state form of the United Kingdom from 1 January 1801 until 12 April 1927....
. Chief Engraver William Kneass
William Kneass

William Kneass worked as an engraver in Philadelphia from 1805 to 1840, and became the second chief engraver of the United States Mint on January 29, 1824....
 drew the original sketches, but suffered a stroke and was too ill to finish them or to oversee preparation of the dies. The task then fell to Gobrecht, who was promoted to Second Engraver.

The obverse features an image of Liberty sitting on a rock, wearing a dress and holding a staff
Staff (stick)

A staff is a large, thick stick or stick-shaped object used to help with walking, as a status symbol, as a component of traditional cooper , or as a weapon....
 with a liberty cap
Pileus (hat)

[Image:Dioscuro cordonata2.jpg|thumb|The pileus particularly identifies the Dioscuri The pileus , also pilleus or pilleum, was, in Ancient Greece, where it was the pilidion, and in Ancient Rome, a brimless, felt cap, somewhat similar to a fez ....
 on top. Her right hand is balancing a shield with the inscription "LIBERTY." The reverse featured the inscription "ONE DIME," surrounded by a wreath
Wreath

A wreath is a circle made of flowers, leaf and sometimes fruits that can be used as an ornament, hanging on a wall or door, or resting on a table....
. All Seated Liberty dimes contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper, and are 17.9 millimeters (0.705 inch) in diameter. This size and metal composition would continue until 1965, when silver was permanently removed from circulating dimes.

There were several minor varieties during the Seated Liberty's run. The initial design (1837) had no stars on the obverse and, further, the dates were minted in a Large Date and Small Date variety. These two types can be distinguished by noting the "3" and the "7" in the date. In the Large Date variety, the "3" has a pointed serif
Serif

In typography, serifs are semi-structural details on the ends of some of the strokes that make up letters and symbols. A typeface that has serifs is called a serif typeface ....
 at top, and the horizontal element of the "7" is straight. In the Small Date variety, the "3" has a rounded serif, and there is small a knob, or bulge, in the "7" horizontal element. (Source: Seated Liberty Coins Web Site "Seated.org"). Only the Philadelphia Mint made both varieties. The Small Date is slightly rarer. The New Orleans Mint also made the Seated Libery Dime in this year, but only in the Small Date variety.

Thirteen stars (symbolizing the 13 original colonies) were added to the perimeter of the obverse in 1838. These were replaced with the legend "United States of America," which was moved from the reverse in mid-1860. At the same time, the laurel wreath on the reverse was changed to a wreath of corn, wheat, maple, and oak leaves and expanded nearly to the rim of the coin. This reverse design continued through the end of the series in 1891 and was changed only slightly in 1892, when the Barber dime debuted. Another variety is the 1838–40 dime minted with no drapery underneath the left elbow of Liberty.

Arrows at the date in 1853 and 1873 indicated changes made in the coin's mass
Mass

In physical science, mass refers to the degree of acceleration a body acquires when subject to a force: bodies with greater mass are accelerated less by the same force....
 (from 2.67 gram
Gram

The gram , ; symbol g, is a Physical unit of mass.Originally defined as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to the cube of the hundredth part of a metre, and at the temperature of melting ice" , a gram is now defined as one one-thousandth of the SI base unit, the kilogram, or Scientific notation kg, which itself is...
s to 2.49 grams in 1853, then to 2.50 grams in 1873). The first change was made in response to rising silver prices, while the latter alteration was brought about by the Mint Act of 1873
Fourth Coinage Act

The Fourth Coinage Act was enacted by the United States Congress in 1873 and embraced the gold standard and de-monetized silver. Western United States mining interests and others who wanted silver in circulation years later labeled this measure the "Crime of '73"....
 which, in an attempt to make U.S. coinage the currency of the world, added a small amount of mass to the dime, quarter, and half-dollar to bring their weights in line with fractions of the French 5-franc
French franc

The franc is a former currency of France. Between 1360 and 1641, it was the name of coins worth 1 livre tournois and it remained in common parlance as a term for this amount of money....
 piece.

This produced the greatest rarities in the Seated Dime Series, the 1873 & 1874 Carson City Dimes, with arrows and the unique 1873 Carson City Dime without arrows.

Barber (1892–1916)

The Barber dime is named for its designer, Charles E. Barber
Charles E. Barber

Charles Edward Barber was the sixth Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint of the United States Mint from 1879 until his death in 1917. He succeeded his father, William Barber , in the position....
, who was Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint from 1879 to 1917. The design was shared with the quarter
Quarter (United States coin)

A quarter dollar, commonly shortened to quarter, is a coin worth 1/4 of a United States United States dollar, or 25 Cent . The quarter has been produced since 1796....
 and half-dollar
Half dollar (United States coin)

The half dollar of the United States, sometimes known as the fifty-cent piece, has been United States Mint coin production nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794....
 of the same period. Extensive internal politics surrounded the awarding of the design job, which had initially been opened to the public. A four-member committee (which included Barber), appointed by then-Mint Director James Kimball, accorded only two of more than 300 submissions an honorable mention. Kimball's successor, Edward O. Leech, decided to dispense with the committees and public design competitions and simply instructed Barber to develop a new design. It has been speculated that this is what Barber had wanted all along.

The Barber dime, as with all previous dimes, featured an image of Liberty on the obverse. She is wearing a Phrygian cap
Phrygian cap

The Phrygian cap is a soft, red, conical hat with the top pulled forward, worn in antiquity by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia....
, a laurel wreath
Laurel wreath

A laurel wreath is a circular wreath made of interlocking branches and leaves of the Bay Laurel , an aromatic broadleaf evergreen. In Greek mythology, Apollo is represented wearing a laurel wreath on his head....
 with a ribbon, and a headband with the inscription "LIBERTY." This inscription is one of the key elements used in determining the condition of Barber dimes. Liberty's portrait was inspired by two sources—French coins and medals of the period, as well as ancient Greek
Ancient Greece

The term Ancient Greece refers to the period of History of Greece lasting from the Greek Dark Ages ca. 1100 BC and the Dorian invasion, to 146 BC and the Roman Republic conquest of Greece after the Battle of Corinth ....
 and Roman
Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC....
 sculpture
Classical sculpture

Classical sculpture refers to the forms of sculpture from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome and the Hellenized, and Romanized civilizations under their rule or influence from about 500B.C....
. The obverse also contains the long-used 13 stars (for the 13 colonies) design element. The reverse contained a wreath and inscription almost identical to the one used on the final design of the Seated Liberty dime.

Winged Liberty Head (Mercury) (1916–1945)

Mercury Dime
Although most commonly referred to as the Mercury dime, the coin does not depict the Roman
Roman mythology

Roman mythology, or more appropriately, Latin mythology, refers to the mythology beliefs of the Italic people inhabiting the region of Latium and its main city, Rome....
 messenger god
Mercury (mythology)

In Roman mythology, Mercury was a messenger, and a god of trade, profit and commerce, the son of Maia Maiestas, also known as Ops, the Roman version of Cronus, and Jupiter ....
. The obverse figure is a depiction of the mythological goddess Liberty
Liberty (goddess)

Goddesses named for and representing the concept Liberty have existed in many cultures, including classical examples dating from the Roman Empire and some national symbols such as the British Empire "Britannia" or the Irish people "Kathleen Ni Houlihan"....
 wearing a Phrygian cap
Phrygian cap

The Phrygian cap is a soft, red, conical hat with the top pulled forward, worn in antiquity by the inhabitants of Phrygia, a region of central Anatolia....
, a classic symbol of liberty and freedom, with its wings intended to symbolize freedom of thought. Designed by noted sculptor Adolph A. Weinman
Adolph Alexander Weinman

Adolph Alexander Weinman was an United States sculpture, born in Karlsruhe, Germany....
, the Winged Liberty Head dime is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful U.S. coin designs ever produced. The composition (90 percent silver, 10 percent copper) and diameter (17.9 millimeters) of the Mercury dime was unchanged from the Barber dime.

Weinman (who had studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens) won a 1915 competition against two other artists for the design job, and is thought to have modeled his version of Liberty on Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of noted poet Wallace Stevens
Wallace Stevens

Wallace Stevens was a United States Modernism poet. He was born in Reading, Pennsylvania, and spent most of his life working for an insurance company in Connecticut....
. The reverse design, a fasces
Fasces

Fasces symbolize summary power and jurisdiction, and/or "strength through unity".The traditional ancient Rome fasces consisted of a bundle of white birch rods, tied together with a red leather ribbon into a cylinder, and often including a bronze axe amongst the rods, with the blade on the side, projecting from the bundle....
 juxtaposed with an olive branch, was intended to symbolize America's readiness for war, combined with its desire for peace.

The 1916-D issue of only 264,000 coins is highly sought after, due largely to the fact that the overwhelming majority of the dimes struck at Denver
Denver Mint

The Denver Mint is a branch of the United States Mint established in 1862 that is today operational and produces coins for circulation, as well as mint sets and commemorative coins....
 in 1916 carried the pre-existing Barber design. Thus, the 1916-D is worth up to thousands of dollars if it is in relatively fine condition. However, many 1916 dimes have been altered with the "D" mintmark added, so buyers should be extremely careful.

Many coins in the Mercury series exhibit striking defects, most notably the fact that the line separating the two horizontal bands in the center of the fasces is often missing, in whole or in part; the 1945 issue of the Philadelphia Mint
Philadelphia Mint

The Philadelphia Mint was created from the need to establish a national identity and the needs of commerce in the United States. This led the Founding Fathers of the United States to make an establishment of a continental national mint a main priority after the ratification of the Constitution of the United States....
 hardly ever appears with this line complete from left to right, and as a result, such coins are worth more than usual for uncirculated specimens. A valuable variety is an overdate, where 1942 was stamped over a 1941 die at the Philadelphia mint. A less obvious example from the same years is from the Denver mint.

Of particular interest to numismatists
Numismatics

Numismatics is the study or collection of currency, including coins, tokens, paper money, and related objects. While numismatists are often characterized as students or collectors of coins, the discipline also includes a much larger study of payment-media used to resolve debts and the exchange of Good s....
 is the condition of the horizontal bands tying together the bundle on the fasces, on the coin's reverse. On well-struck examples, separation exists within the two sets of bands (known as Full Split Bands). Coins exhibiting this feature are typically valued higher than those without it.

Roosevelt (1946–present)

Soon after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt

Franklin Delano Roosevelt , often referred to by his initials FDR, was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States....
 in April 1945, legislation was introduced by Virginia
Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia is an United States U.S. state on the East Coast of the United States of the Southern United States. The state is known as the "Old Dominion" and sometimes as "Mother of Presidents", because it is the birthplace of Lists of United States Presidents by place of birth#By state....
 Congressman Ralph H. Daughton
Ralph Hunter Daughton

Ralph Hunter Daughton was a United States House of Representatives from Virginia.Born in Washington, D.C., Daughton attended public and private schools in Washington, D.C., and Prince Georges County, Maryland....
 that called for the replacement of the Mercury dime with one bearing Roosevelt's image. The dime was chosen to honor Roosevelt partly due to his efforts in the founding of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later renamed the March of Dimes), which originally raised money for polio
Poliomyelitis

Poliomyelitis, often called polio or infantile paralysis, is an acute virus infectious disease spread from person to person, primarily via the fecal-oral route....
 research and to aid victims of the disease and their families. The public had been urged to send in a dime to the Foundation, and by Roosevelt's death, the Foundation was already popularly known as the "March of Dimes."

Due to the limited amount of time available to design the new coin, the Roosevelt dime was the first regular-issue U.S. coin designed by a Mint employee in more than 40 years. Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock
John R. Sinnock

John R. Sinnock was the eighth Chief Engraver of the U.S. Mint of the United States Mint and designer of the Roosevelt dime and Franklin half dollar, among other U.S....
 was chosen, as he had already designed a Mint presidential medal of Roosevelt. Sinnock's first design, submitted on October 12, 1945, was rejected, but a subsequent one was accepted on January 6, 1946.

The dime was released to the public on January 30, 1946, which would have been Roosevelt's 64th birthday. Sinnock's design placed his initials ("JS") at the base of Roosevelt's neck, on the coin's obverse. His reverse design elements of a torch, olive branch, and oak branch symbolized, respectively, liberty, peace, and victory.

Controversy immediately ensued, as strong anti-Communist
Anti-communism

Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Historically, the word communism has been used to refer to several types of communal social organization and their supporters, but, since the mid-19th century, the dominant school of communism in the world has been Marxism....
 sentiment in the United States led to the circulation of rumors that the "JS" engraved on the coin was the initials of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin

Joseph Stalin was the General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1922 until his death in 1953....
, placed there by a Soviet agent in the mint. The Mint quickly issued a statement refuting this, confirming that the initials were indeed Sinnock's. Perhaps to avoid further controversy, when Sinnock designed the Franklin half dollar
Franklin half dollar

The "Franklin Half" is a United States coinage of the United States, minted from 1948 to 1963. The coin pictured Benjamin Franklin on the obverse and the Liberty Bell on the reverse....
 two years later, he used his full initials: JRS. (Stalin's middle name was Vissarionovich.)

Another controversy surrounding Sinnock's design involves his image of Roosevelt. Soon after the coin's release, it was claimed that Sinnock borrowed his design of Roosevelt from a bas relief created by African American
African American

African Americans or Black Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in any of the Black people populations of Africa....
 sculptor Selma Burke
Selma Burke

Selma Hortense Burke was an United States sculpture.Born in Mooresville, North CarolinaItalic text, North Carolina to a farming family, she demonstrated an early interest in art....
, unveiled at the Recorder of Deeds Building in Washington D.C. in September 1945. Sinnock denied this, claiming that he simply utilized his earlier design on the Roosevelt medal.

With the passage of the Coinage Act of 1965
Coinage Act of 1965

The Coinage Act of 1965, , eliminated silver from the circulating dimes and quarter dollars of the United States, and diminished the silver content of the Half dollar from 90% to 40%....
, the composition of the dime changed from 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper to a clad "sandwich" of copper between two layers of an alloy of 75 percent copper and 25 percent nickel. This composition was selected because it gave similar mass (now 2.27 grams instead of 2.5 grams) and electrical properties (important in vending machine
Vending machine

A vending machine provides various snacks, beverages, and other products to consumers. The idea is to vend products without a cashier. Items sold via vending machines vary by country and region....
s)—and most importantly, because it contained no precious metal.

Soon after the change of composition, silver dimes (as well as silver quarters and half dollars) began to disappear from circulation, as people receiving them in change hoarded them (see Gresham's law
Gresham's Law

Gresham's law is commonly stated: "Bad money drives out good."Gresham's law applies specifically when there are two forms of commodity money in circulation which are forced, by the application of legal tender laws, to be respected as having face value in a fixed-ratio for marketplace transactions....
). Although now rare in circulation, silver dimes may occasionally turn up in customers' change.

Starting in 1992, the US Mint re-introduced silver coins in its annual collectors sets. This included a 90 percent silver proof Roosevelt Dime, Washington Quarter(s)
50 State Quarters

The 50 State Quarters program is the release of a series of United States Commemorative Coins by the United States Mint. Between 1999 and 2008, it featured each of the 50 individual U.S....
 and Kennedy Half Dollar
Half dollar (United States coin)

The half dollar of the United States, sometimes known as the fifty-cent piece, has been United States Mint coin production nearly every year since the inception of the United States Mint in 1794....
, a series that continues today.

Since 1946 the Roosevelt dime has been minted every year. Through 1955, all three mints, Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco produced circulating coinage; production at San Francisco ended in 1955, resuming in 1968 with proof coinage only. Through 1964 "D" and "S" mintmarks can be found to the left of the torch. From 1968, the mintmarks have appeared above the date. None were used in 1965–67, and Philadelphia did not show a mintmark until 1980 (in 1982, an error left the "P" off a small number of dimes, which are now valuable). To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the design, the 1996 mint sets included a "W" mintmarked dime made at the West Point Mint
West Point Mint

The West Point Mint Facility was erected in 1937, near the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Originally the West Point Bullion Depository, it gained official status as a branch mint of the United States Mint on March 31, 1988....
. A total of 1,457,000 dimes were issued in the sets.

In 2003, a group of conservative
American conservatism

Conservatism in the United States is a major United States political ideology. In contemporary American politics, it is often associated with the Republican Party ....
 Republicans
Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major party contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party . It is often called the Grand Old Party or the GOP....
 in Congress proposed removing Roosevelt's image from the dime, and replacing it with that of President Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the List of Presidents of the United States President of the United States and the 33rd Governor of California . Born in Illinois, Reagan moved to Los Angeles, California in the 1930s, where he was an actor, president of the Screen Actors Guild , and a spokesman for General Electric ....
, although he was still alive. Legislation to this effect was introduced in November 2003 by Indiana
Indiana

The State of Indiana was the 19th U.S. state admitted into the union. It is located in the Midwestern United States of the United States of America....
 Representative
United States House of Representatives

The United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as "the House", is one of the bicameralism of the United States Congress; the other is the United States Senate....
 Mark Souder
Mark Souder

Mark Edward Souder is an United States politician who will be serving his eighth term in the United States House of Representatives for . The Third District lies in northeast and north central Indiana and includes all of DeKalb County, Indiana, Kosciusko County, Indiana, Lagrange County, Indiana, Noble County, Indiana, Steuben County, India...
. Amongst the more notable opponents of the legislation was Nancy Reagan
Nancy Reagan

Nancy Davis Reagan is the widow of former President of the United States Ronald Reagan and served as an influential First Lady of the United States from 1981 to 1989....
, who in December 2003 stated that, "When our country chooses to honor a great president such as Franklin Roosevelt by placing his likeness on our currency, it would be wrong to remove him." After President Reagan's death in June 2004, the proposed legislation gained additional support. Souder, however, stated that he was not going to pursue the legislation any further.

Mintage figures

Draped Bust 1796–1807
  • 1796 P - 22,135
  • 1797 P - 25,261
  • 1798 P - 29950
  • 1800 P - 21,760
  • 1801 P - 34,640
  • 1802 P - 10,975
  • 1803 P - 33,040
  • 1804 P - 8,265
  • 1805 P - 120,780
  • 1807 P - 165,000
Capped Bust 1809–1837
  • 1809 P - 51,065
  • 1811 P - 65,180
  • 1814 P - 421,500
  • 1820 P - 942,587
  • 1821 P - 1,186,512
  • 1822 P - 100,000
  • 1823 P - 440,000
  • 1824 P, 1825 P - 510,000 (combined mintage)
  • 1827 P - 1,215,000
  • 1828 P - 125,000
  • 1829 P - 770,000
  • 1830 P - 510,000
  • 1831 P - 771,350
  • 1832 P - 522,500
  • 1833 P - 485,000
  • 1834 P - 635,000
  • 1835 P - 1,410,000
  • 1836 P - 1,190,000
  • 1837 P - 359,500
Seated Liberty 1837–1891
  • 1837 P - 682,500
  • 1838 O - 406,034
  • 1838 P - 1,992,500
  • 1839 P - 1,053,115
  • 1839 O - 1,323,000
  • 1840 P no drapery - 981,500
  • 1840 P with drapery - 377,500
  • 1840 O - 1,175,000
  • 1841 P - 1,622,500
  • 1841 O - 2,007,500
  • 1842 P - 1,887,500
  • 1842 O - 2,020,000
  • 1843 P - 1,370,000
  • 1843 O - 150,000
  • 1844 P - 72,500
  • 1845 P - 1,755,000
  • 1845 O - 230,000
  • 1846 P - 31,300
  • 1847 P - 245,000
  • 1848 P - 451,500
  • 1849 P - 839,000
  • 1849 O - 300,000
  • 1850 P - 1,931,500
  • 1850 O - 510,000
  • 1851 P - 1,026,500
  • 1851 O - 400,000
  • 1852 P - 1,535,500
  • 1852 O - 430,000
  • 1853 P no arrows - 95,000
  • 1853 P with arrows - 12,078,010
  • 1853 O - 1,100,000
  • 1854 P - 4,470,000
  • 1854 O - 1,770,000
  • 1855 P - 2,075,000
  • 1856 P - 5,780,000
  • 1856 O - 1,180,000
  • 1856 S - 70,000
  • 1857 P - 5,580,000
  • 1857 O - 1,540,000
  • 1858 P - 1,540,000
  • 1858 O - 290,000
  • 1858 S - 60,000
  • 1859 P - 430,000
  • 1859 O - 480,000
  • 1859 S - 60,000
  • 1860 P - 606,000
  • 1860 O - 40,000
  • 1860 S - 140,000
  • 1861 P - 1,883,000
  • 1861 S - 172,500
  • 1862 P - 847,000
  • 1862 S - 180,750
  • 1863 P - 14,000
  • 1863 S - 157,500
  • 1864 P - 11,000
  • 1864 S - 230,000
  • 1865 P - 10,000
  • 1865 S - 175,000
  • 1866 P - 8,000
  • 1866 S - 135,000
  • 1867 P - 6,000
  • 1867 S - 140,000
  • 1868 P - 464,000
  • 1868 S - 260,000
  • 1869 P - 256,000
  • 1869 S - 450,000
  • 1870 P - 470,500
  • 1870 S - 50,000
  • 1871 P - 906,750
  • 1871 S - 320,000
  • 1871 CC - 20,100
  • 1872 P - 2,395,500
  • 1872 S - 190,000
  • 1872 CC - 35,480
  • 1873 P No Arrows - 1,568,000
  • 1873 CC No Arrows - 12,400
  • 1873 P With Arrows - 2,377,700
  • 1873 CC With Arrows - 18,791
  • 1873 S - 455,000
  • 1874 P - 2,939,300
  • 1874 S - 240,000
  • 1874 CC - 10,817
  • 1875 P - 10,350,000
  • 1875 S - 9,070,000
  • 1875 CC - 4,645,000
  • 1876 P - 11,460,000
  • 1876 S - 10,420,000
  • 1876 CC - 8,270,000
  • 1877 P - 7,310,000
  • 1877 S - 2,340,000
  • 1877 CC - 7,700,000
  • 1878 P - 1,677,200
  • 1878 CC - 200,000
  • 1879 P - 14,000
  • 1880 P - 36,000
  • 1881 P - 24,000
  • 1882 P - 3,910,000
  • 1883 P - 7,674,673
  • 1884 P - 3,365,505
  • 1884 S - 564,969
  • 1885 P - 2,532,497
  • 1885 S - 43,690
  • 1886 P - 6,376,684
  • 1886 S - 206,524
  • 1887 P - 11,283,229
  • 1887 S - 4,454,450
  • 1888 P - 5,495,655
  • 1888 S - 1,720,000
  • 1889 P - 7,380,000
  • 1889 S - 972,678
  • 1890 P - 9,910,951
  • 1890 S - 1,423,076
  • 1891 P - 15,310,000
  • 1891 O - 4,540,000
  • 1891 S - 3,196,116
Barber Dime, 1892-1916
  • 1892 P - 12,120,000
  • 1892 O - 3,841,700
  • 1892 S - 990,710
  • 1893 P - 3,340,000
  • 1893 O - 1,760,000
  • 1893 S - 2,491,401
  • 1894 P - 1,330,000
  • 1894 O - 720,000
  • 1894 S - 24 (ALL PROOF STRIKES)
  • 1895 P - 690,000
  • 1895 O - 440,000
  • 1895 S - 1,120,000
  • 1896 P - 2,000,000
  • 1896 O - 610,000
  • 1896 S - 575,056
  • 1897 P - 10,868,533
  • 1897 O - 666,000
  • 1897 S - 1,342,844
  • 1898 P - 16,320,000
  • 1898 O - 2,130,000
  • 1898 S - 1,702,507
  • 1899 P - 19,850,000
  • 1899 O - 2,650,000
  • 1899 S - 1,867,493
  • 1900 P - 17,600,000
  • 1900 O - 2,010,000
  • 1900 S - 5,168,270
  • 1901 P - 18,859,665
  • 1901 O - 5,620,000
  • 1901 S - 593,022
  • 1902 P - 21,380,000
  • 1902 O - 4,500,000
  • 1902 S - 2,070,000
  • 1903 P - 19,500,000
  • 1903 O - 8,180,000
  • 1903 S - 613,300
  • 1904 P - 14,600,357
  • 1904 S - 800,000
  • 1905 P - 14,551,623
  • 1905 O - 3,400,000
  • 1905 S - 6,855,199
  • 1906 P - 19,957,731
  • 1906 D - 4,060,000
  • 1906 O - 2,610,000
  • 1906 S - 3,136,640
  • 1907 P - 22,220,000
  • 1907 D - 4,080,000
  • 1907 O - 5,058,000
  • 1907 S - 3,178,470
  • 1908 P - 10,600,000
  • 1908 D - 7,490,000
  • 1908 O - 1,789,000
  • 1908 S - 3,220,000
  • 1909 P - 10,240,000
  • 1909 D - 954,000
  • 1909 O - 2,287,000
  • 1909 S - 1,000,000
  • 1910 P - 11,520,000
  • 1910 D - 3,490,000
  • 1910 S - 1,240,000
  • 1911 P - 18,870,000
  • 1911 D - 11,209,000
  • 1911 S - 3,520,000
  • 1912 P - 19,349,300
  • 1912 D - 11,760,000
  • 1912 S - 3,420,000
  • 1913 P - 19,760,000
  • 1913 S - 510,000
  • 1914 P - 17,360,230
  • 1914 D - 11,908,000
  • 1914 S - 2,100,000
  • 1915 P - 5,620,000
  • 1915 S - 960,000
  • 1916 P - 18,490,000
  • 1916 S - 5,820,000
Winged Liberty Head (Mercury), 1916–1945
  • 1916 P - 22,180,080
  • 1916 D - 264,000
  • 1916 S - 10,450,000
  • 1917 P - 55,230,000
  • 1917 D - 9,402,000
  • 1917 S - 27,330,000
  • 1918 P - 26,680,000
  • 1918 D - 22,674,800
  • 1918 S - 19,300,000
  • 1919 P - 35,740,000
  • 1919 D - 9,939,000
  • 1919 S - 8,850,000
  • 1920 P - 59,030,000
  • 1920 D - 19,171,000
  • 1920 S - 13,820,000
  • 1921 P - 1,230,000
  • 1921 D - 1,080,000
  • 1923 P - 50,130,000
  • 1923 S - 6,440,000
  • 1924 P - 24,010,000
  • 1924 D - 6,810,000
  • 1924 S - 7,120,000
  • 1925 P - 25,610,000
  • 1925 D - 5,117,000
  • 1925 S - 5,850,000
  • 1926 P - 32,160,000
  • 1926 D - 6,828,000
  • 1926 S - 1,520,000
  • 1927 P - 28,080,000
  • 1927 D - 4,812,000
  • 1927 S - 4,770,000
  • 1928 P - 19,480,000
  • 1928 D - 4,161,000
  • 1928 S - 7,400,000
  • 1929 P - 25,970,000
  • 1929 D - 5,034,000
  • 1929 S - 4,730,000
  • 1930 P - 6,770,000
  • 1930 S - 1,843,000
  • 1931 P - 3,150,000
  • 1931 D - 1,260,000
  • 1931 S - 1,800,000
  • 1934 P - 24,080,000
  • 1934 D - 6,772,000
  • 1935 P - 58,830,000
  • 1935 D - 10,477,000
  • 1935 S - 15,840,000
  • 1936 P - 87,500,000
  • 1936 D - 16,132,000
  • 1936 S - 9,210,000
  • 1937 P - 56,860,000
  • 1937 D - 14,146,000
  • 1937 S - 9,740,000
  • 1938 P - 22,190,000
  • 1938 D - 5,537,000
  • 1938 S - 8,090,000
  • 1939 P - 67,740,000
  • 1939 D - 24,394,000
  • 1939 S - 10,540,000
  • 1940 P - 65,350,000
  • 1940 D - 21,198,000
  • 1940 S - 21,560,000
  • 1941 P - 175,090,000
  • 1941 D - 45,634,000
  • 1941 S - 43,090,000
  • 1942 P - 205,410,000
  • 1942 D - 60,740,000
  • 1942 S - 49,300,000
  • 1943 P - 191,710,000
  • 1943 D - 71,949,000
  • 1943 S - 60,400,000
  • 1944 P - 231,410,000
  • 1944 D - 62,224,000
  • 1944 S - 49,490,000
  • 1945 P - 159,130,000
  • 1945 D - 40,245,000
  • 1945 S - 41,290,000
Roosevelt Dime, 1946-1964 (silver)
  • 1946 D - 61,043,500
  • 1946 P - 255,250,000
  • 1946 S - 27,900,000
  • 1947 D - 46,835,000
  • 1947 P - 121,520,000
  • 1947 S - 34,840,000
  • 1948 D - 52,841,000
  • 1948 P - 74,950,000
  • 1948 S - 35,520,000
  • 1949 D - 26,034,000
  • 1949 P - 30,940,000
  • 1949 S - 13,510,000
  • 1950 D - 46,803,000
  • 1950 P - 50,130,114
  • 1950 S - 20,440,000
  • 1951 D - 56,529,000
  • 1951 P - 103,880,102
  • 1951 S - 31,630,000
  • 1952 D - 122,100,000
  • 1952 P - 99,040,093
  • 1952 S - 44,419,500
  • 1953 D - 136,433,000
  • 1953 P - 53,490,120
  • 1953 S - 39,180,000
  • 1954 D - 106,397,000
  • 1954 P - 114,010,203
  • 1954 S - 22,860,000
  • 1955 D - 13,959,000
  • 1955 P - 12,450,181
  • 1955 S - 18,510,000
  • 1956 D - 108,015,100
  • 1956 P - 108,640,000
  • 1957 D - 113,354,330
  • 1957 P - 160,160,000
  • 1958 D - 136,564,600
  • 1958 P - 31,910,000
  • 1959 D - 164,919,790
  • 1959 P - 85,780,000
  • 1960 D - 200,160,400
  • 1960 P - 70,390,000
  • 1961 D - 209,146,550
  • 1961 P - 93,730,000
  • 1962 D - 334,948,380
  • 1962 P - 73,450,000
  • 1963 D - 421,476,530
  • 1963 P - 123,650,000
  • 1964 D - 1,357,517,180
  • 1964 P - 929,360,000
Roosevelt Dime, 1965-present (cupro-nickel) (mintmarks temporarily suspended 1965-1967)
  • 1965 - 1,652,140,570
  • 1966 - 1,382,734,540
  • 1967 - 2,244,007,320
  • 1968 P - 424,470,400
  • 1968 D - 480,748,280
  • 1969 P - 145,790,000
  • 1969 D - 563,323,870
  • 1970 P - 345,570,000
  • 1970 D - 754,942,100
  • 1971 P - 162,690,000
  • 1971 D - 377,914,240
  • 1972 P - 431,540,000
  • 1972 D - 330,290,000
  • 1973 P - 315,670,000
  • 1973 D - 455,032,426
  • 1974 P - 470,248,000
  • 1974 D - 571,083,000
  • 1975 P - 585,673,900
  • 1975 D - 313,705,300
  • 1976 P - 568,760,000
  • 1976 D - 695,222,774
  • 1977 P - 796,930,000
  • 1977 D - 376,607,228
  • 1978 P - 663,980,000
  • 1978 D - 282,847,540
  • 1979 P - 315,440,000
  • 1979 D - 390,921,184
  • 1980 P - 735,170,000
  • 1980 D - 719,354,321
  • 1981 P - 676,650,000
  • 1981 D - 712,284,143
  • 1982 P - 519,475,000
  • 1982 D - 542,713,584
  • 1983 P - 647,025,000
  • 1983 D - 730,129,224
  • 1984 P - 856,669,000
  • 1984 D - 704,803,976
  • 1985 P - 705,200,962
  • 1985 D - 587,979,970
  • 1986 P - 682,649,693
  • 1986 D - 473,326,970
  • 1987 P - 762,709,481
  • 1987 D - 653,203,402
  • 1988 P - 1,030,550,000
  • 1988 D - 962,385,489
  • 1989 P - 1,298,400,000
  • 1989 D - 896,535,597
  • 1990 P - 1,304,340,000
  • 1990 D - 839,995,824
  • 1991 P - 927,220,000
  • 1991 D - 601,241,114
  • 1992 P - 593,500,000
  • 1992 D - 616,273,932
  • 1993 P - 766,180,000
  • 1993 D - 750,110,166
  • 1994 P - 1,189,000,000
  • 1994 D - 1,303,268,110
  • 1995 P - 1,125,500,000
  • 1995 D - 1,274,890,000
  • 1996 P - 1,421,163,000
  • 1996 D - 1,400,300,000
  • 1997 P - 991,640,000
  • 1997 D - 979,810,000
  • 1998 P - 1,163,000,000
  • 1998 D - 1,172,300,000
  • 1999 P - 2,164,000,000
  • 1999 D - 1,397,750,000
  • 2000 P - 1,842,500,000
  • 2000 D - 1,818,700,000
  • 2001 P - 1,369,590,000
  • 2001 D - 1,412,800,000
  • 2002 P - 1,369,590,000
  • 2002 D - 1,412,800,000
  • 2003 P - 1,085,500,000
  • 2003 D - 986,500,000
  • 2004 P - 1,328,000,000
  • 2004 D - 1,159,500,000
  • 2005 P - 1,412,000,000
  • 2005 D - 1,423,500,000
  • 2006 P - 1,381,000,000
  • 2006 D - 1,447,000,000
  • 2007 P - 1,047,500,000
  • 2007 D - 1,042,000,000


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