Last Decade of Roosevelt Dime Proofs - 1955 to 1964 - Philadelphia Mint

The Roosevelt Dime has long been a collectors favorite from its inception in 1946 all the way up to today; the Roosevelt Dime truly stands above the rest! It is considered to be one of the few "hidden" values that truly have stood the test of time after decades of collecting. It is simple math: when you combine the rich minting history of the Roosevelt Dime with its rarity, you simply cannot go wrong!

What many collectors forget is that prior to 1968, all special issue proof Dimes were struck at the Philadelphia Mint! With their final year of production taking place in 1964, many collectors have never seen a 90% silver Philadelphia Dime in proof condition! Lucky for you, we have spent the last year putting together a collection containing every 90% Philadelphia Proof Dime from the last decade of issue!

After the tragic death of President Roosevelt in 1945, legislation was quickly introduced calling for the Mercury Dime's design to be replaced with one bearing President Roosevelt's iconic image.

What many don't know is that the decision to place Roosevelt's image on our 10 cent piece came out of our respect for the life's work of our former president. No achievement is greater than his role in founding the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, an organization that is now known as the "March of Dimes." The Roosevelt Dime design was released on January 30, 1946, the day that would have been the former presidents 64th birthday.

The "Red Scare" (a name coined by future generations) was in full swing during the release of the Roosevelt Dime in 1964, and it was having a major impact on the American public. The threat of the Cold War spiraling into World War III struck fear into the hearts of the population. In fact, the fear was so real to everyday consumers that they even thought the Roosevelt Dime was a coin honoring communism!

As a result of this anti-communist atmosphere, many people believed that the initials of JS placed at the trunk of Roosevelt's neck stood for "Joseph Stalin" the then leader of the Soviet Union. This was (thankfully) proven to not be the case, as the initials stood for the designer of the coin itself: John Sinnock.