Values
A pre-65 Roosevelt dime’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. Melt is a different conversation. Full Torch is a later conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts does not name a traditional key date inside these silver years. This is a name list, not a price list. Do not invent one. Do not call 1964 or 1965 a key because the alloy changed the next year.
There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason. A worn common silver date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra pamphlet rows. The 1974 Mint table does not split them out, and this page will not invent a count.
Full Torch. That is a strike designation on the bands of the torch. It is not an error and not a G / VF / MS-63 cell. NGC prints a separate Full Torch listing. This chart does not copy those cells onto the business-strike column.
JS under the bust. Those letters are John R. Sinnock’s initials. They are not a variety and not an error.
1965 clad. The alloy changes. The design does not. That is not an error and not a key date. This page stops at 1964.
This pass did not print a named-variety G / VF / MS-63 row, so no extra variety lines sit under the dates.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Roosevelt page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Silver Roosevelt dimes on this page do not split into design types. John Sinnock’s initials under the bust are the designer’s mark, not a variety. Full Torch is a strike designation, not a die variety. The clad change in 1965 is the next page.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Silver Roosevelt dimes were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco from 1946 through 1964. This chart is those silver years, not the whole Roosevelt design. San Francisco stops after 1955 in the pamphlet table. The pamphlet prints a blank 1956–64 S cell, and NGC Coin Explorer also left those S years blank, so they stay off this chart. Those S years were not struck for circulation. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. The counts below are the pamphlet dime cells in this repository.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | P | 255,250,000 | 15082 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1946 | D | 61,043,500 | 15083 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1946 | S | 27,900,000 | 15084 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1947 | P | 121,520,000 | 15085 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1947 | D | 46,835,000 | 15086 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1947 | S | 34,840,000 | 15087 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1948 | P | 74,950,000 | 15088 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1948 | D | 52,841,000 | 15089 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1948 | S | 35,520,000 | 15090 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1949 | P | 30,940,000 | 15091 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1949 | D | 26,034,000 | 15092 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1949 | S | 13,510,000 | 15093 | $3.25 | $4.50 | $22 |
| 1950 | P | 50,181,500 | 15094 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1950 | D | 46,803,000 | 15095 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1950 | S | 20,440,000 | 15096 | $3.50 | $4 | $20 |
| 1951 | P | 102,937,602 | 15097 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1951 | D | 56,529,000 | 15098 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1951 | S | 31,630,000 | 15099 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1952 | P | 99,122,073 | 15100 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1952 | D | 122,100,000 | 15101 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1952 | S | 44,419,500 | 15102 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1953 | P | 53,618,920 | 15103 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1953 | D | 136,433,000 | 15104 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1953 | S | 39,180,000 | 15105 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1954 | P | 114,243,503 | 15106 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1954 | D | 106,397,000 | 15107 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1954 | S | 22,860,000 | 15108 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1955 | P | 12,828,381 | 15109 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1955 | D | 13,959,000 | 15110 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1955 | S | 18,510,000 | 15111 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1956 | P | 109,309,384 | 15112 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1956 | D | 108,015,100 | 15113 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1957 | P | 161,407,952 | 15114 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1957 | D | 113,354,330 | 15115 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1958 | P | 32,785,652 | 15116 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1958 | D | 136,564,600 | 15117 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1959 | P | 86,929,291 | 15118 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1959 | D | 164,919,790 | 15119 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1960 | P | 72,081,602 | 15120 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1960 | D | 200,160,400 | 15121 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1961 | P | 96,758,244 | 15122 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1961 | D | 209,146,550 | 15123 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1962 | P | 75,668,019 | 15124 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1962 | D | 334,948,380 | 15125 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1963 | P | 126,725,645 | 15126 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1963 | D | 421,476,530 | 15127 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1964 | P | 242,720,762 | 15128 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
| 1964 | D | 572,154,430 | 15129 | $5.50 | $5.50 | $15 |
Mintage: United States, Bureau of the Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965 (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974). Publisher: FRASER / GPO pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts (2026-08-21). Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID. 1965 clad is not a row on this chart. 1956–1964 San Francisco cells are blank in the pamphlet.
These pamphlet cells are dime manufacture for the silver years this page covers. 1965 clad is not a row on this chart.
No 1956–1964 San Francisco rows. The pamphlet prints a blank 1956–64 S cell.
Full Torch is a designation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell on this chart. Guide cells retrieved 2026-08-23.
These are Bureau of the Mint manufacture figures from the 1974 GPO pamphlet in this repository, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. The pamphlet dime cells are manufacture. 1965 clad is not a row here.
Read the date. Read the mint mark left of the torch. Look at the bands before you argue Full Torch.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A pre-65 Roosevelt dime is the historic .900 silver dime, not the current clad Roosevelt. The design continues after 1964. The alloy does not. Full Torch is a strike designation. That is not a spec change.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 17.91 mm |
| Thickness | 1.35 mm |
| Weight | 2.50 g (38.58 grains) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.07234 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock |
Diameter and thickness are the U.S. Mint circulating-dime figures (17.91 mm / 1.35 mm). Weight 2.50 g / 38.58 grains and .900 fine are the historic silver-dime standard for 1946–1964, not the current clad dime. The Roosevelt design continues after 1964 in clad; that circulating type lives on the Roosevelt dime page. Fine silver is the same 0.07234 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a pre-1965 dime.
Grading
A silver Roosevelt dime wears first on Roosevelt’s cheek and hair, and on the bands of the torch. Full Torch is a strike call on those bands — a designation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell.
This is still John R. Sinnock’s Roosevelt design. The story on this page is the 1946–1964 90% silver alloy. Clad 1965+ is the same portrait and torch; that circulating type lives on the Roosevelt dime page. JS under the bust is Sinnock’s initials, not a variety.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Roosevelt’s cheek and hair | The cheekbone and the hair above the ear on the portrait. | Those high points flatten while the coat can still look busy. |
| Torch bands | The horizontal bands on the torch, and whether they are still separated. | The bands go slick first. Full Torch is a later strike conversation, not this grade. |
| Date and mint mark | The numerals under the portrait, and the mint mark left of the torch when there is one. | A worn date is a worn dime. Do not scrape the torch to force a mint mark. |
| JS initials | The letters under the bust. They are John R. Sinnock’s initials. | JS is the designer mark. It is not a variety and not a grade. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. PCGS CoinFacts is the catalog page for this series. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set. Guide values on this page came from the NGC Price Guide.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A silver disk you can still call a Roosevelt if you already know the type.
- The cheek is gone. The torch is a lump.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Full Torch is not a conversation at this wear.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- Hair and cheek are gone. The torch bands are not a conversation.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1949-S is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Roosevelt is a head, not a portrait. The cheek is flat.
- The torch is outlined. The bands have no real lines.
- The mint mark, if there is one, should still be findable left of the torch.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns in the hair and the torch.
- Some hair comes back. The cheek is still tired.
- The torch starts to show leftover bands. They are not split.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the portrait and the torch. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Hair is outlined. The cheek is not crisp.
- The torch shows leftover bands. They are still worn together.
- The date is clear. The mint mark should be too.
VF
Very Fine
The torch is doing real work. Cheek and bands still decide.
- Leftover strands in the hair. The cheek is not slick.
- More of the bands show. Full Torch is still not this grade.
- A regular 1964 is still this grade if it is this worn. The alloy change is 1965, not this coin.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the dime looks sharp. The cheek, the hair, and the torch bands tell on it.
- Light wear on the cheek, the hair, and the high points of the bands.
- The date is sharp. The mint mark left of the torch, if there is one, should be too.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the cheek and the torch.
- A trace of rub on the cheek and on the high points of the bands.
- The date should be full. Luster may still sit in the protected spots.
- A bright dime with a slick cheek is still a slick cheek.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the dime looks.
- No rub on the cheek, the hair, the torch bands, or the date.
- Full Torch is a strike call. It is not an extra MS-63 number.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the cheek, the torch, and the date.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- Full Torch remains a designation, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean cheek, torch, and fields for a silver Roosevelt. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the cheek or the torch bands.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about Full Torch copied onto MS-63.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Roosevelt dimes exist for part of the silver run. They were made as proofs. This page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-23 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Indian Head cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A pre-65 Roosevelt dime is a United States ten-cent coin with Franklin D. Roosevelt on the front and a torch on the back, struck in 90% silver from 1946 through 1964. Collectors mean those silver years when they say pre-65 Roosevelt. The same Sinnock design continues after 1964 in clad. That later coin is not this melt.
For the clad continuation, read the Roosevelt dime page.
People like them because the type still reads across a table, a jar of worn ones is easy to weigh, and the date-and-mint combinations give you something to chase. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1946 with John R. Sinnock’s design. It replaces the Mercury dime. This page will not invent a shop list to fill the years between.
From 1946 through 1955 the pamphlet has Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco dime cells. After 1955 the pamphlet prints a blank 1956–64 San Francisco cell. Those S years stay off this chart. In 1965 the Mint changes the circulating dime to clad. The portrait stays. The alloy does not. This page stops at 1964.
This page will not invent a melt story that treats 1965 like silver.
Design
Obverse: Roosevelt facing left, “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” the date, and JS under the bust. Reverse: a torch with an olive branch and an oak branch, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “ONE DIME.” The mint mark sits left of the torch when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
Look at the cheek, the hair, the torch bands, and the date. Those spots go flat first.
Full Torch means the bands on the torch are fully split. That is a strike call. It is not a G / VF / MS-63 number.
Proof Roosevelts exist for part of the silver run. They were made as proofs, not as circulation strikes that someone shined later.
People Also Ask
What years are pre-65 Roosevelt dimes?
Collectors mean the 90% silver Roosevelt dimes struck from 1946 through 1964. The Roosevelt design continues after 1964 in clad. This page is the silver years, not the whole design. There is no 1956–1964 San Francisco dime in the pamphlet table this page uses.
How much is a pre-65 Roosevelt dime worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. Melt is a different conversation. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Are 1965 Roosevelt dimes silver?
No. Circulation dimes from 1965 on are copper-nickel clad. The portrait and the torch stay Sinnock’s design. The alloy changes. That continuation lives on the Roosevelt dime page. It is not the melt of a pre-65 dime.
Is 1965 a key date?
No. 1965 is the first clad year. An alloy change is not a key date. This page stops at 1964.
What is Full Torch?
Full Torch is a strike designation on the bands of the torch. It is not a G, VF, or MS-63 cell on this chart. Do not copy a Full Torch price onto the business-strike column.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late silver date in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its cheek. That is normal. A pile of worn pre-65 dimes is often a melt conversation, not a key-date conversation.
If you inherited a jar, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Roosevelt dimes every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.” Say what happened if you know. A dealer will see it anyway.
If you collect by type, one honest circulated silver Roosevelt will teach you the cheek and the torch. If you collect the whole Roosevelt design, this page is only the silver years. Clad 1965+ is the same portrait. It is not the same alloy.
For the dime this one replaced, read the Mercury dime page. For the dime before that, read the Barber dime. For the clad continuation, read the Roosevelt dime.
A Final Word
Pre-65 Roosevelt dimes reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark left of the torch. Look at the bands. Leave the polish under the sink. Do not call a 1965 dime silver because the face looks the same.
When you want another series on this site, the Roosevelt dime, the Mercury dime, and the Barber dime are already here.