Franklin D. Roosevelt has appeared on the dime since January 30, 1946 — his birthday — designed by Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock. The 2026 dime is a one-year-only exception: it carries an 'Emerging Liberty' obverse for the US semiquincentennial. Roosevelt returns in 2027.
Franklin D. Roosevelt has been on the dime since 1946, designed by John R. Sinnock; the 2026 dime is a one-year-only exception featuring an 'Emerging Liberty' obverse with the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' — Roosevelt returns to the dime in 2027.
Roosevelt's portrait — facing left, with the torch, olive branch, and oak branch on the reverse — has defined the dime since January 30, 1946. Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock created the design; his initials 'JS' appear at the bust truncation. For 2026 only, the dime substitutes an allegorical 'Emerging Liberty' obverse honoring the 250th anniversary of US independence, under Public Law 116-330. The 2026 dime uses the same 2.268 g clad composition as the standard coin and circulates normally. To identify a 2026 dime: look for the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' and the absence of FDR's portrait. Roosevelt resumes as the standard obverse in 2027.
For 2026 only, the dime's obverse replaces Roosevelt with an allegorical figure called 'Emerging Liberty,' carrying the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence. This is a one-year statutory redesign under Public Law 116-330 — the dime is not permanently changing.
| design name | Emerging Liberty |
|---|---|
| obverse subject | Emerging Liberty (allegorical figure of Liberty rising; not Franklin D. Roosevelt) |
| reverse subject | Modified reverse bearing the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' |
| obverse designer | Attribution pending verification against usmint.gov announcement — see _data_gaps |
| reverse designer | Attribution pending verification against usmint.gov announcement — see _data_gaps |
| dual date format | 1776 ~ 2026 |
| circulation status | circulating |
The dime returns to the Roosevelt obverse — John R. Sinnock's original 1946 design — in 2027. The Emerging Liberty design is one-year-only by statute. Public Law 116-330 authorized the entire 2026 semiquincentennial redesign program; it does not authorize a permanent portrait change. The standard 2.268 g clad composition and 118-reed edge remain unchanged throughout 2026 and beyond.
Public Law 116-330 — Circulating Collectible Coin Redesign Act of 2020, signed January 13, 2021
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882–1945) served as the thirty-second President of the United States from March 4, 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945. He led the nation through both the Great Depression and the bulk of World War II, and was elected to four terms — the only president to serve more than two — directly prompting the Twenty-Second Amendment. Roosevelt contracted polio in 1921 at age 39, which paralyzed his legs and shaped his later advocacy for those afflicted by the disease. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage at Warm Springs, Georgia, and is buried at his Hyde Park estate in New York.
John R. Sinnock (1888–1947) was the eighth Chief Engraver of the US Mint, serving from 1925 until his death in 1947. He designed the Roosevelt dime in 1945, completing the work shortly before he died; the Franklin Half Dollar, also his design, was released posthumously in 1948. Sinnock's obverse shows FDR in left-facing profile; his reverse presents a flaming torch symbolizing liberty, flanked by an olive branch (peace) and an oak branch (strength). His initials 'JS' at the bust truncation briefly sparked a Cold War conspiracy theory misidentifying them as standing for Joseph Stalin, forcing the Mint to issue clarifying press releases.
Three months after Roosevelt's death in April 1945, the US Mint began work to place him on a circulating coin. The dime was selected specifically because of Roosevelt's connection to the March of Dimes — the popular name for the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which he founded in 1938. The campaign raised millions for polio research through the symbolic donation of dimes by ordinary Americans, making the ten-cent coin a direct embodiment of Roosevelt's fight against the disease that had disabled him. The first Roosevelt dime was released on January 30, 1946, the first anniversary of his birthday following his death.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born on January 30, 1882, at the family estate in Hyde Park, New York. Educated at Groton School and Harvard College, he went on to study law at Columbia University. He married his fifth cousin once removed, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, in 1905. His political rise was swift: elected to the New York State Senate in 1910, appointed Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson in 1913, and nominated as the Democratic vice-presidential candidate in 1920.
In August 1921, while vacationing at Campobello Island, Roosevelt developed a fever and pain in his legs that was diagnosed as poliomyelitis. The illness left him permanently paralyzed from the waist down. Rather than withdraw from public life, he undertook years of rehabilitation — most notably at Warm Springs, Georgia, where he developed a treatment program for other polio patients and eventually established the Warm Springs Foundation, which became the forerunner of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis.
Roosevelt returned to electoral politics with a speech nominating Al Smith at the 1924 Democratic National Convention. Elected Governor of New York in 1928, he won the presidency in 1932 against incumbent Herbert Hoover, campaigning on a 'New Deal' for Americans suffering under the Great Depression. His first hundred days in office produced a torrent of legislation — the Emergency Banking Act, the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and many others — that restructured the nation's financial system and provided emergency relief to millions.
He won reelection in 1936, 1940, and 1944 — the latter two terms shaped entirely by the approach and then the prosecution of World War II. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt guided the United States into a global alliance with Britain and the Soviet Union. He attended the major wartime summit conferences at Casablanca (1943), Tehran (1943), and Yalta (February 1945), shaping the post-war international order.
On January 30, 1938 — his fifty-sixth birthday — Roosevelt founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis to fund research and treatment for polio. Entertainer Eddie Cantor coined the phrase 'March of Dimes' to describe the fundraising campaign, in which Americans mailed dimes directly to the White House. Millions of dimes poured in; the Foundation eventually funded Jonas Salk's development of the polio vaccine, announced in 1955. The Foundation was renamed the March of Dimes in 1979.
Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945, at Warm Springs, Georgia, of a cerebral hemorrhage, with the end of World War II in Europe only weeks away. He was sixty-three years old. He is buried at Springwood, his Hyde Park estate. The decision to honor him on the dime was made within months of his death, driven by the powerful symbolic link between the coin, the disease, and the man whose advocacy had made that coin synonymous with the fight against polio.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1882 | Born January 30 at Hyde Park, New York |
| 1921 | Contracted poliomyelitis; permanently paralyzed from the waist down |
| 1933 | Inaugurated as 32nd President of the United States on March 4 |
| 1938 | Founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later March of Dimes) on his birthday, January 30 |
| 1945 | Died April 12 at Warm Springs, Georgia |
| 1946 | Roosevelt dime first issued January 30 — his birthday |
The dime has carried eight distinct obverse designs since its introduction in 1796. Each era reflects the artistic and political priorities of its time, from the early allegorical Liberty portraits through Roosevelt's commemorative portrait and the 2026 semiquincentennial exception.
| Design | Years | Obverse | Reverse | Key change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Draped Bust Dime | 1796–1807 | Liberty (draped bust) Robert Scot |
Small eagle (1796–1797); heraldic eagle (1798–1807) Robert Scot |
No denomination inscribed on the coin; heraldic eagle reverse introduced 1798. Varieties: 1796 (small eagle), 1797 (13 stars or 16 stars) |
| Capped Bust Dime | 1809–1837 | Liberty (capped bust) John Reich |
Eagle with shield John Reich |
Size reduced from 1828; weight reduced from 2.70 g to 2.41 g for the smaller format. Varieties: Large date / small date 1814; 1820 large and small 0 |
| Seated Liberty Dime | 1837–1891 | Liberty (seated) Christian Gobrecht |
Eagle and shield (various sub-types) Christian Gobrecht |
Multiple sub-types over 54 years; weight adjusted to 2.49 g in 1853 and 2.50 g in 1873. Varieties: No-stars (1837–1838), With Stars, With Arrows (1853–1855, 1873–1874), Legend obverse (1860+) |
| Barber Dime | 1892–1916 | Liberty head with Phrygian cap and laurel wreath Charles E. Barber |
Wreath enclosing 'ONE DIME' Charles E. Barber |
Modernized Liberty portrait replacing the Seated Liberty type; uniform weight of 2.50 g. Varieties: 1894-S (24 struck; 9 known to survive; auction prices over $1.9 million) |
| Mercury Dime (Winged Liberty Head) | 1916–1945 | Liberty wearing winged Phrygian cap (popularly called Mercury) Adolph A. Weinman |
Roman fasces bound with olive branch Adolph A. Weinman |
Won 1915 US Mint design competition; replaced Barber dime; 90% silver at 2.50 g throughout. Varieties: 1916-D (264,000 mintage; series key), 1921, 1921-D, 1942/1 overdate (Philadelphia and Denver), Full Bands (FB) designation |
| Roosevelt Silver Dime | 1946–1964 | Franklin D. Roosevelt John R. Sinnock |
Torch, olive branch, oak branch John R. Sinnock |
Commemorative portrait replacing Weinman's Liberty; first issued January 30, 1946 (FDR's birthday); 90% silver, 2.50 g. Varieties: 1949-S (13,510,000 mintage; lowest Roosevelt), 1955 (12,450,181) |
| Roosevelt Clad Dime | 1965–2025; 2027 onward | Franklin D. Roosevelt John R. Sinnock |
Torch, olive branch, oak branch John R. Sinnock |
Coinage Act of 1965 removed silver; composition became 91.67% Cu / 8.33% Ni clad; weight reduced to 2.268 g. Varieties: 1968 No-S Proof (fewer than 20 known), 1970 No-S Proof (~2,200 known), 1975 No-S Proof (2 known; $200,000+), 1982 No-P, 1983 No-S Proof (~3,000 known) |
| Emerging Liberty Dime | 2026 only | Emerging Liberty (allegorical figure; not Roosevelt) Attribution pending verification against usmint.gov announcement |
Modified reverse with dual date '1776 ~ 2026' Attribution pending verification against usmint.gov announcement |
One-year-only redesign under Public Law 116-330; same 2.268 g clad composition; honors US semiquincentennial. |
Philadelphia produced dimes without any mint mark from 1796 through 1979. The 'P' mint mark was added to Philadelphia dimes starting in 1980 and appears next to the date on the obverse. A known 1982 No-P variety exists — an anomaly in which the Philadelphia mark was accidentally omitted — and circulated examples bring $30–$300 depending on grade.
Denver ('D') began striking dimes in 1906. From 1906 through 1964, the 'D' mark appeared on the reverse; it was relocated to the obverse next to the date in 1968. San Francisco ('S') struck circulating dimes from 1906 through 1955 and again from 1968 through 1974; from 1975 onward, San Francisco has struck proof-only dimes. The 1968 mint-mark relocation from reverse to obverse is the direct cause of the famous No-S Proof errors: when obverse dies for proof dimes were prepared after the move, several batches were accidentally made without the 'S' mark, producing the rare 1968, 1970, 1975, and 1983 No-S Proof dimes.
| Period | Location | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| 1796–1979 | Philadelphia | No mint mark used; Philadelphia was the primary and sometimes sole Mint facility |
| 1906 onward | Denver | 'D' mark added when Denver Mint began striking dimes; mark moved from reverse to obverse in 1968 |
| 1906–1955; 1968–1974 (circulating); 1975 onward (proof only) | San Francisco | 'S' mark; San Francisco shifted to proof-only production for dimes from 1975 |
| 1980 onward | Philadelphia | 'P' mint mark added to obverse; 1982 No-P variety is a documented exception |
Franklin D. Roosevelt has been on the dime since January 30, 1946. He was the thirty-second President of the United States and the founder of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (later the March of Dimes). The 2026 dime is a one-year-only exception — it features an 'Emerging Liberty' allegorical obverse for the US semiquincentennial. Roosevelt returns as the standard dime portrait in 2027.
The 2026 dime carries a one-year-only 'Emerging Liberty' obverse — an allegorical figure of Liberty — with the dual date '1776 ~ 2026' honoring the 250th anniversary of American independence. It is struck in the same 2.268 g clad composition as the standard dime and circulates normally. The design is authorized by Public Law 116-330. Roosevelt resumes as the obverse portrait in 2027.
The US Mint chose Roosevelt three months after his death in April 1945 to honor his work with the March of Dimes — the popular fundraising campaign that collected millions of dimes from ordinary Americans to fund polio research and treatment. Roosevelt himself had contracted polio in 1921, and the connection between his disability and the coin used to fight the disease made the dime a symbolically fitting tribute. The first Roosevelt dime was issued on January 30, 1946, his birthday.
John R. Sinnock (1888–1947), the eighth Chief Engraver of the US Mint, designed the Roosevelt dime in 1945. He completed it shortly before his death in 1947. His initials 'JS' appear at the truncation of FDR's bust on the obverse. At the time of release, a conspiracy theory briefly claimed the initials stood for Joseph Stalin; the Mint issued press releases confirming they referred to Sinnock. His reverse design — a flaming torch flanked by olive and oak branches — has remained unchanged since 1946.
The clad dime minted from 1965 through 2025, and from 2027 onward, weighs 2.268 g. The pre-1965 silver dime weighed 2.500 g. The 2026 Emerging Liberty dime uses the same 2.268 g clad composition as the standard coin. The Mint tolerance for the clad dime is plus or minus 0.091 g.
Dimes minted from 1965 through 2025, and from 2027 onward, are 91.67% copper and 8.33% nickel cupronickel cladding over a pure copper core. The copper core accounts for roughly 67% of total weight. Pre-1965 dimes are 90% silver and 10% copper. The 2026 Emerging Liberty dime uses the same clad composition as the modern standard.
Examine the edge: a silver dime (1964 and earlier) shows a continuous silver-colored band all the way around the rim. A clad dime (1965 and later) shows a visible copper stripe sandwiched between two thin layers of cupronickel. Pre-1965 dimes also weigh slightly more — 2.500 g versus 2.268 g for modern clad. Any dime dated 1964 or earlier is 90% silver with 0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver content.
Each pre-1965 silver dime contains 0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver. The 90% silver / 10% copper composition applied to all dimes from the Seated Liberty era through 1964. The Coinage Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-81) removed silver from dimes beginning with 1965 strikes. Silver Roosevelt dimes were minted from 1946 through 1964; Mercury dimes (1916–1945) and Barber dimes (1892–1916) also carry the same 0.07234 troy ounce silver content.
The Mercury dime (1916–1945) is technically a 'Winged Liberty Head' dime — the figure on the obverse is Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, not the Roman god Mercury. The wings were intended to symbolize freedom of thought. It was designed by Adolph A. Weinman, who won the 1915 US Mint design competition. The reverse depicts a Roman fasces (a bound bundle of rods symbolizing unity) with an olive branch. Mercury dimes are 90% silver at 2.500 g.
Among modern dimes, the 1975 No-S Proof is the rarest with only 2 confirmed examples; values exceed $200,000. Among all US dimes, the 1894-S Barber dime — of which 24 were struck and only 9 are known to survive — is the rarest, with auction prices exceeding $1.9 million. Among Mercury dimes, the 1916-D (mintage 264,000) is the series key, bringing $1,500–$10,000 in circulated grades and $20,000–$200,000 or more in Mint State.
Yes. The dime has 118 reeds — small vertical ridges running around the edge. The reeded edge dates from the original silver dime and historically served as a deterrent against shaving precious metal from the coin's edge. Modern clad dimes preserve the 118-reed specification for continuity. The reeded edge is also one practical way to distinguish the dime from other small coins by touch.
A No-S Proof dime is a proof coin accidentally struck without the San Francisco 'S' mint mark. Known years are 1968 (fewer than 20 known), 1970 (approximately 2,200 known; value $400–$1,000), 1975 (2 known; value $200,000+), and 1983 (approximately 3,000 known; value $300–$800). The errors resulted from the 1968 relocation of the mint mark from the reverse to the obverse — some obverse proof dies were prepared without the mark before the error was caught.
Mercury dimes (1916–1945) feature a Winged Liberty obverse and a Roman fasces reverse, both designed by Adolph A. Weinman; they are 90% silver at 2.500 g. Roosevelt dimes (1946–2025, 2027 onward) feature FDR on the obverse and a torch, olive branch, and oak branch on the reverse, designed by John R. Sinnock; pre-1965 versions are 90% silver, and 1965-onward versions are 2.268 g clad. The 2026 Emerging Liberty dime is a separate one-year-only type.
Portrait history tells you who is depicted — but Roosevelt and Mercury dimes vary widely in value by date, mint mark, and grade. Key dates like the 1916-D Mercury or the 1975 No-S Proof can command thousands of dollars in the right condition.
Check Roosevelt and Mercury dime values →The Assay app can identify your coin by image — useful for distinguishing a 2026 Emerging Liberty dime from a standard Roosevelt, or for spotting a Mercury dime with Full Bands.
This page is an informational reference on dime portrait history; for numismatic valuation by date, mint mark, and grade, see coins-value.com.