1949-S Roosevelt Dime

Historical Notes

The 1949-S is a key date among Roosevelt dimes.

The Roosevelt dime replaced the Mercury dime in 1946 to honor President Franklin D. Roosevelt after his death in 1945. Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock designed the coin, featuring Roosevelt’s portrait on the obverse and an olive branch, a torch, and an oak branch on the reverse. The U.S. Mint selected Sinnock because he already designed the Roosevelt inaugural medal. His initials, JS, appear at the base of the neck on the obverse. Production changed significantly in 1965 when the Mint removed silver from the composition. Coins minted from 1946 through 1964 contain 90% silver, while coins from 1965 to the present use a copper-nickel clad composition. The Mint moved the mint mark from the reverse to the obverse above the date in 1968. The series remains in production today, making it one of the longest-running active designs in American coinage.

Start your collection with the copper-nickel clad issues from 1965 to the present, as you can find most of these in circulation for face value. Look for high-grade examples of the 1996-W dime, which was the first coin to feature a W mint mark for circulation, with a mintage of only 1,457,000. Silver issues from 1946 to 1964 remain affordable and provide a great way to own precious metal coins. Watch for weak strikes on the torch bands on the reverse, as fully split bands increase the value of the coin significantly. Avoid cleaning your coins, as even light polishing destroys the numismatic value.

This series includes key dates — check individual coin pages for rarity details.