1946-1964 Silver Roosevelt Dimes: In Honor of Our Longest Serving President
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Updated:
6/19/2026
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Franklin Roosevelt's tenure as President, regardless of one's politics, was an eventful one. The Great Depression and World War II were more serious challenges than most Presidents faced, therefore it is fitting that an American coin bears his likeness. It is also obligatory to note that FDR passed, unexpectedly, in the late Spring of 1945 while we were still at war and this dime appeared in 1946, less than a year later.
The New Deal included lots of programs we now take for granted. Social Security was created on his watch, and it is those Social Security benefits that allows me to enjoy this coin collecting hobby. Needless to say I'm personally grateful to FDR for providing me with the ability to pursue this hobby. But less self-centered, there were programs like the WPA, FTC, and lots of things that directly benefited people in need -- the social safety net. The Labor Laws, including the Wagner Act, Fair Labor Standards Act that provided for a minimum wage and maximum hours, and child labor protections; among others.
My parents were born before World War I and the generation of my family that preceeded me were products of the Great Depression and World War II. I had two uncles I never knew because they didn't survive the war, but my Dad had a surviving brother and Mom had numerous siblings. All of these people spoke of Roosevelt in hushed tones, like they would if having a religious experience -- and at least of couple them were hardcore Republicans. I always found it amazing that FDR left that kind of impression, even those who didn't always agree with his politics, never doubted for a moment that country came first for FDR.
The image to the left is the FDR memorial in Washington D.C., appearing at the President's right hand side is his Scottish Terrier, named Fala. The Park Service says this is the only Presidential memorial which includes a pet. Regardless of politics, you got to appreciate a man who likes dogs.
This brings me to another issue. Seems to me, that our prettiest coinage are those pieces which depict a person on the obverse, but not a real person, a fantasy person, if you will. FDR is a heroic person and clearly deserves such memorialization, and I would say that's true of Benjamin Franklin as well, I think Ike, JFK, and Thomas Jefferson have their following but they are not just another pretty face in the crowd. Washington was first in line, but surely Martha could have done better if we are just talking, well if we aren't just talking. Our prettiest coins have Mercury (the winged Godess) and Ms. Liberty adorning the obverses. All fantasies of the designers and all prettier than FDR and the boys. Yet it is the appearance of these real people that personifies our coinage. Somehow there is just more feeling, more history if you will, when the obverse is a real person. The esthetics win with Ms. Liberty, Mercury, and the Indians but those are styles of an era, and miss the mark on the memorialization of figures who shaped and were shaped by our collective experiences.
The Reverses on the three pretty coins, vary. We have the Roman Fasces on the back of Mercury, that magnificent flying eagle on the back of the Standing Liberty, and that magnificent walking eagle on the back of the Walker. On the back of FDR's dime is a torch, in honor of light (or as some of my conservative friends claim that's a tribute to arsonists), on the back of the Jefferson nickel is his memorial, oh well, then we have the Washington Quarter, well yeah it is an eagle, a flat one with out sretched wings, I'm not sure if its aggitated, landing or simply road kill -- not pretty. It's late and I vented, just my thoughts for going back to the kinds of coins the first Roosevelt complained about.
My final pitch in defense of FDR as the obverse of this dime: I'm of the generation that my parents and their cohorts spoke fondly of Mr. Roosevelt, and some were pretty conservative Republicans. This set being complete, still leaves lots of room for improvement and this set will be a priority for upgrading.
I initiated this set on June 10, 2024. This set is a work in progress and will be updated as the coins and resources become available. FDR changed the trajectory of this country and this set really is a tribute to that fact, and the man who caused it.
I began this set in June of 2024.
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