The design of the current US dime has actually been around for quite some time, and you can even find a 1947 dime. The Roosevelt dime was designed to honor the late President Franklin Roosevelt, a fitting addition to any coin collection.
Table of Contents
In this article, we will be talking about the value, varieties, history, grading, and errors that you may find on a 1947 dime.
1947 Dime Value Details
- Category: Roosevelt Dimes
- Mints: Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco
- Year: 1947
- Total Mintage: 203,195,000
- Obverse Designer: John R. Sinnock
- Reverse Designer: John R. Sinnock
- Edge: Reeded
- Diameter: 17.9 mm (1.2 inches)
- Composition: 90% silver, 10% Copper
- Weight: 2.5 grams
1947 Dime Value Value Chart
| Mint Mark | Good (G-4) | Fine (VF-12) | Extremely Fine (XF-40) | Mint State (MS-65) |
| 1947 (P) No Mint Mark Dime Value | $1.89 | $1.89 | $2.06 | $14 |
| 1947 D Dime Value | $1.89 | $1.89 | $2.06 | $14 |
| 1947 S Dime Value | $1.89 | $1.89 | $2.06 | $14 |
1947 Dime Value Values and Varieties
1947 P No Mint Mark Dime
- Type: Roosevelt Dimes
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: None
- Place of minting: Philadelphia
- Year of minting: 1947
- Face value: $0.10
- $ price: $1.89 to $10,000
- Quantity produced: 121,520,000
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
Philadelphia’s mintage dropped to less than half from the previous year, but they were still able to produce the most number of 1947 dimes at over 120 million. Despite the relatively low mintage, most of the population with no mint mark exhibit weak strikes and erosion due to circulation and overuse.
A lot of these coins did survive, too, with an estimated population of 12 million. They are pretty common, even until MS-66. At MS-67, they become much scarcer. Full Torch (FT) or Full Band (FB) varieties, which refer to coins that retain all the details of the torch at the reverse of the coin, are much rarer.
The 1947 Roosevelt dimes maintain a similar price range across their varieties and grade conditions. They usually start at $1.89 and reach up to $40 at MS-66+, indicating how common these coins are. At MS-68, you can get them for $750, a fairly low price for that grade.
Full Band varieties have higher prices, although the difference is not a lot, especially with MS-67 and below. At MS-68, you can expect to shell out $10,000.
Regardless of that, the current auction record for a 1947 Roosevelt dime with no mint mark is $3,220 for an MS-67+ piece.
1947 D Dime
- Type: Roosevelt Dimes
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: D
- Place of minting: Denver
- Year of minting: 1947
- Face value: $0.10
- $ price: $1.89 to $8,250
- Quantity produced: 46,835,000
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
Although barely half of the mintage of Philadelphia, the 1947 D dimes still produced quite the number at over 46 million. Additionally, the Denver mints were generally regarded as superior compared to other mints, although higher-grade condition pieces are still scarce.
FT varieties are easier to find among 1947 D dimes, although still pretty rare. These dimes were also saved in rolls, so quite a number of them survive up until MS-67. Among circulated grades, the 1947 dimes are also common.
As mentioned above, the 1947 Roosevelt dimes command a similar premium across varieties and grades, starting from $1.89 to $625 at MS-68, which is even lower than the 1947 P dimes. Their FT varieties also are priced lower, at $8,250 for an MS-68 FB piece.
The current auction record for this variety is $7,762 with an MS-68 FB coin.
1947 S Dime
- Type: Roosevelt Dimes
- Edge: Reeded
- Mint mark: S
- Place of minting: San Francisco
- Year of minting: 1947
- Face value: $0.10
- $ price: $1.89 to $10,000
- Quantity produced: 34,840,000
- Designer: John R. Sinnock
The low mintage of the S dimes for this issue is actually below average for the entire Roosevelt dime series. Most other dates have over 35 million mintages, while the San Francisco Mint failed to reach that number for this year. Additionally, most pieces of this variety exhibit soft strikes, due to overused dies.
These dies were often repolished to remove erosion lines, which actually ended up producing proof-like coins with partially effaced features.
The price for the 1947 S dimes is not that much different from the other varieties, starting at $1.89 and then going up to $775 at MS-68. The same with the other mintages, the FB varieties sell for a much higher premium, at $10,000 for an MS-68+ piece.
The current auction record for the 1947 S dime is $6,169 for an MS-68 FB piece.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Indian Head Penny Worth Money
1947 Dime Value Special Grading Designation
Like many other coins, the Roosevelt dimes are not just graded based on their condition, but also by certain characteristics of the coin. Specifically, these dimes are also tested for the Full Torch or the Full Band.
On the reverse of the coin, there are three prominent figures: an olive branch to the left, an oak to the right, and a torch in the middle, representing peace, strength, and liberty. With the minting of so many of these coins, the details of these items do not entirely strike the piece properly, omitting certain designs.
The torch is the most significant of these figures, and numismatists are especially interested in the bands found on the top and bottom of the torch. The original design contains two bands on those sides of the torch, but due to weak strikes and other die issues, these bands end up mushing into a single band.
The Full Band or Full Torch designation is only given when the torch has two clearly delineated and distinct bands on both the top and bottom sides. For the most part, most coin grading agencies also consider the condition, and usually, only coins with a grade of MS-60 and above are eligible for the Full Band Designation.
Also Read: Top 15 Most Valuable Roosevelt Dimes Worth Money
1947 Dime Value History
The 1947 dime is called the Roosevelt dime, which is actually still in wide circulation as of 2023. Having been minted since 1946, the Roosevelt dime was produced shortly after former President Franklin Roosevelt’s death.
President Franklin Roosevelt had been suffering from polio since 1921. Because of this, he founded the March of Dimes, an organization originally created to help combat polio, which at the time was affecting the US on an epidemic scale.
Officially the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, the March of Dimes was called such because of a national fundraising campaign by radio star Eddie Cantor. Under this campaign, everyone was encouraged to send a dime or several, while lapel pins were also sold for ten cents each.
After leading the United States through the Great Depression and World War II, he was deemed fit to be honored by designing a coin with his likeness. His association with the dime through the March of Dimes, as well as the then-current dime design, the Mercury dime, being well over 25 years in service, made the Roosevelt dime possible.
In its early days, including 1947, the Roosevelt dime was made up of 90% silver and 10% copper. However, because of the Coinage Act of 1965, the composition was changed to a sandwich of copper nickel (75/25) around a core of pure copper. This second composition is the current version circulating in the modern day.
Despite having been minted for around 75 years, the Roosevelt dime is not highly prized by collectors. However, numismatists are mainly interested in Full Band varieties. They are not necessarily rare, but collectors prefer them more over other varieties.
1947 Dime Value Grading
Collectors utilize a coin grading scale to judge the condition of a coin. This scale goes from 1 to 70, but it is often simplified into qualitative categories, like Good, Fine, Almost Uncirculated, and Mint State.
The 1947 Roosevelt dime is also graded by another characteristic. The Full Band or Full Torch certification is only given to coins when the torch on the reverse of the coin has the upper and lower bands fully distinct. You can learn more about grading the Roosevelt dime in the video below:
Lists of 1947 Dime Value Errors
1. 1947 Dime DDR Error
The Roosevelt dime series is rife with the doubled die reverse (DDR) error. This error refers to a manufacturing error where a second design pattern impresses on the coin, which is usually offset from the original design.
This error is different from a double strike, where the second impression overlaps with the first one. The doubled die error is usually an error on the die itself, while the double strike error is an error where the second strike of the die is offset from the original position.
As indicated by the error name, the error shows up on the reverse side of the coin. The doubled die is obvious and clear on the “UNITED STATES” pattern along the edge of the coin. All varieties of the 1947 dime have been observed to have one piece with this error, with most of them on the 1947 S dime.
2. 1947 Dime DDO Error
Aside from the DDR error, the Roosevelt dime is also rife with the doubled die obverse (DDO) error. It is basically the same as the DDR error, but instead, the error is on the obverse (front) side.
On the 1947 P dime, it is mostly seen on the year, while on the 1947 S and 1947 D, it is mostly seen on the “LIBERTY” pattern along the edge.
3. 1947 S Dime OMM Error
Among the Roosevelt dime series, the over-mintmark error is only present on the 1947 S dime. The over-mintmark error refers to a mintmark impression that was struck on top of another mintmark. Usually, the top mintmark does not fully cover the bottom mintmark, so certain parts of the original mintmark can be seen.
The 1947 S over-mintmark has the S mintmark on top of the D mintmark. Coins with this error will have the bottom curve of the S with a minute line pattern, indicating the left portion of the D mintmark.
4. 1947 Dime RPM Error
The repunched mintmark error is another common error in the Roosevelt dime series. This error refers to a mintmark that has two or more other impressions beneath the top one. This error usually occurs when a single strike does not leave a satisfactory impression, and so subsequent strikes are done. When the punch is moved slightly, this makes the succeeding mintmarks offset from the original one.
The RPM error is further classified by the direction of the mintmarks. The RPM error is found on both the 1947 D and 1947 S dimes, and varieties of the error are found in four cardinal directions: north, south, east, and west.
1947 Dime Value Value FAQ
Are 1947 dimes rare?
Despite being around 75 years old, 1947 Roosevelt dimes are actually still quite common. Their survival rate is around 10%, so there are still around 20 million pieces of them available. Additionally, these dimes are still common even at MS-67, as reflected by their prices.
However, 1947 FT dimes are rare ones, especially in high-grade conditions (MS-67+ and above).
What years of dimes are 90% silver?
Before the passage of the Coinage Act in 1965, all dimes were made of part silver. As stipulated by the Coinage Act of 1837, all silver coins are to be made up of 90% silver and 10% copper. This would include the 1947 Roosevelt dimes.
By the time the Coinage Act of 1965 was enacted, silver from the dime and quarter dollar coins were completely eliminated, which included the Roosevelt dimes.
Which dime is worth money?
The 1947 dime is worth some money, at least higher than its face value of $0.50. When melted in silver bullion, the Roosevelt dime is valued at $1.59. However, the coin has more value as a coin, starting from $1.89. Depending on the condition and the variety that your dime might have, it might be worth even more.
The current auction record for a 1947 dime is a 1947 D MS-68 FB coin, which was sold at $7,762.
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