Coin values · 90% silver · 1946–1964
Silver Roosevelt dime value: 1946–1964 melt value today
Roosevelt dimes dated 1946 through 1964 are 90% silver with 0.0723 troy oz each; dimes from 1965 on are copper-nickel clad. A silver Roosevelt dime is worth its melt value unless it is a rare variety or a high-grade coin. At the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver), one coin’s 0.0723 oz of silver was worth $3.60.
Silver Roosevelt dime specifications
| Years struck (silver) | 1946–1964 |
|---|---|
| Designer | John R. Sinnock (initials JS below the neck) |
| Mints | Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), San Francisco (S) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 2.50 g |
| Diameter | 17.9 mm, reeded edge |
| Silver content (ASW) | 0.0723 troy oz |
| Face value | 10 cents |
| Melt value | $3.60 at the Nov 3, 2026 close ($49.78/oz silver); live value above |
Weights, fineness and mintages come from the primary records listed under Sources; melt is computed from the gold or silver content.
Silver Roosevelt dime melt calculator
Melt = pure metal content × recent spot (silver $49.78/oz). This is the bullion floor; collectible coins can be worth far more. Federal rules restrict melting only 1¢ and 5¢ coins (31 CFR Part 82; 1942–1945 silver war nickels are exempt). This estimates intrinsic value.
What a silver Roosevelt dime’s silver has been worth since 1968
A silver Roosevelt dime held about $0.14 of silver in 1968, peaked near $7.46 in 2026, and its metal is worth $3.60 today. That is melt only; a scarce date or high grade can carry a collector premium on top.
Silver Roosevelt dime melt value by decade
Melt of one coin at each decade’s December close. The peak month was Jan 2026 at $7.46; the low was Oct 1971 at $0.09. Melt has been above the $0.10 face value in 703 of 707 months since 1968, and is now about 36 times face.
| Close | Silver price | Melt per coin |
|---|---|---|
| Dec 1970 | $1.63 | $0.12 |
| Dec 1980 | $15.50 | $1.12 |
| Dec 1990 | $4.19 | $0.30 |
| Dec 2000 | $4.58 | $0.33 |
| Dec 2010 | $30.63 | $2.21 |
| Dec 2020 | $26.49 | $1.91 |
| Nov 3, 2026 | $49.78 | $3.60 |
Prices: LBMA benchmark history, then Bullion Trading LLC 5 pm ET spot closes (monthly observations).
About the silver Roosevelt dime
The dime was released on January 30, 1946, which would have been Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 64th birthday, less than a year after his death. It honored his work founding what became the March of Dimes, the polio charity that asked Americans to send in dimes.
The design has not changed since; only the metal did. From 1946 to 1964 the mintmark is on the reverse, left of the torch’s base; from 1968 it moved to the obverse above the date.
Quick test: a silver dime weighs 2.50 g and shows a solid silver edge; a clad dime weighs 2.27 g and shows a copper stripe.
Key dates and mintages
- 1955: 12,450,181 business strikes at Philadelphia, the lowest silver Roosevelt mintage.
- 1949-S: 13,510,000 struck, the other low-mintage date collectors look for.
- 1965 “silver” transitional errors (1965 dimes struck on leftover 90% planchets) are rare; see the 1965 dime page.
When is a silver Roosevelt dime worth more than melt?
Nearly all silver Roosevelt dimes trade as junk silver. Full Torch (FT) high-grade coins and proofs carry premiums; we do not publish collector prices.