The 1995 Roosevelt dime features the 32nd president of the United States. This coin was struck about 30 years ago. Throughout those years, many people have sought to find a 1995 dime and add it to their collection.
In this post, you will read about the historical milestones, composition, value, and variety of the 1995 dime.
What Is the 1995 Roosevelt Dime Made Of?
The 1995 Roosevelt Dime is part of the Roosevelt dime series first released in 1946. The Roosevelt dime was made of silver and copper when it was first struck. However, starting in 1965, the US Mint transitioned to base metal composition.
With this in mind, the 1995 dime was made of 75% copper and 25% nickel instead of silver. The core of the dime was made of solid copper while it was clad with nickel. Aside from the cupro-nickel dimes, there’s also the collector version of the 1995 Roosevelt dime, made of silver.
Image source: USA Coin Book
Other specifications of the 1995 Roosevelt Dime are as follows:
- Reeded edge
- Weight of 2.27 grams
- Diameter of 17.90 millimeters
- Designed by John R. Sinnock
- Thickness of 1.35 millimeters
- Value of 10 cents
When it comes to design, the obverse side of the coin, as its name suggests, features the image of Franklin Roosevelt. Inscriptions include the following:
- LIBERTY
- IN GOD WE TRUST
- 1995
- Mint mark (if present)
On the reverse of the coin, you’ll find the following:
- Olive branch – symbolizes peace
- Liberty Torch – symbolizes enlightenment
- Oak branch – Symbolizes strength
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – arched above the coin
- E PLURIBUS UNUM – Latin for “out of many, one”
- ONE DIME – coin’s denomination
Today, the dime is the smallest US coin in diameter and thickness. The word dime comes from the old French word disme. It means tithe or tenth part.
Before the Roosevelt dime, other designs were used for the 10-cent coin. These include the Draped Bust, Capped Bust, Seated Liberty, Barber, and Winged Liberty Head designs.
1995 Roosevelt Dime Varieties
The Roosevelt Dime of 1995 comes in four varieties. These varieties don’t differ from each other that much. The only major difference is their mint mark, which indicates where the coin was struck.
Here’s a table to give you a quick overview of the 1995 Roosevelt dime varieties:
Variety | Mint Location | Mintage |
1995 D Mercury Dime | Denver | 1,274,890,000 |
1995 P Mercury Dime | Philadelphia | 1,125,500,000 |
1995 S Mercury Dime | San Francisco | 2,117,496 |
1995 S Proof Silver Mercury Dime | San Francisco | 679,985 |
Total | 2,403,187,481 |
The production of the Roosevelt dime slightly decreased in 1995 compared to the previous year. Nevertheless, producing more than 2.4 billion dimes is still an impressive number.
Let’s go ahead and look into each of the varieties in greater detail.
1995 D Mercury Dime
Year of minting: 1995
Mint Mark: D
Place of minting: Denver
Quantity produced: 1,274,890,000
Face Value: $0.10 (10 cents)
Price: $0.15 to $0.35 (circulated condition)
Mass: 2.27 grams
Edge: Reeded
Designer: John R. Sinnock
Composition: 75% copper and 25% nickel
Diameter: 17.90 millimeters
Image Source: PCGS
The production of the Roosevelt dime slightly slowed down. From 1,303,268,110 dimes in 1994, the Denver Mint produced 1,274,890,000 in 1995. Nevertheless, the Denver Mint produced the most number of dimes in 1995.
Buying a circulated 1995 D dime may cost around $0.15 to $0.35.
1995 P Mercury Dime
Year of minting: 1995
Mint Mark: P
Place of minting: Philadelphia
Quantity produced: 1,125,500,000
Face Value: $0.10 (10 cents)
Price: $0.15 to $0.35 (circulated condition)
Mass: 2.27 grams
Edge: Reeded
Designer: John R. Sinnock
Composition: 75% copper and 25% nickel
Diameter: 17.90 millimeters
Image Source: PCGS
There were over a billion Roosevelt dimes produced in the Philadelphia Mint. With a huge mintage figure, 1995 dimes may be bought for just around $0.15 to $0.35 for coins in a circulated condition.
1995 S Mercury Dime
Year of minting: 1995
Mint Mark: S
Place of minting: San Francisco
Quantity produced: 2,117,496
Face Value: $0.10 (10 cents)
Price: $0.15 to $0.35 (circulated condition)
Mass: 2.27 grams
Edge: Reeded
Designer: John R. Sinnock
Composition: 75% copper and 25% nickel
Diameter: 17.90 millimeters
Image Source: USA Coin Book
The San Francisco Mint produced more than 2.1 million dimes in 1995, a little fewer than in 1994.
1995 S Silver Proof Mercury Dime
Year of minting: 1995
Mint Mark: S
Place of minting: San Francisco
Quantity produced: 679,985
Face Value: $0.10 (10 cents)
Price: $17 or more (uncirculated condition)
Mass: 2.50 grams
Edge: Reeded
Designer: John R. Sinnock
Composition: 90% silver and 10% copper
Diameter: 17.90 millimeters
Image Source: PCGS
The US Mint began producing silver Proof Sets, which started in 1992. The 1995 S silver dime is part of this Proof Sets. This dime variety is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper.
Since the 1995 silver dime is composed of precious metal, its value is higher than its non-silver counterparts. Price may start at around $17 for these dimes.
The 1995 silver dime is more difficult and time-consuming to produce. Thus, you will notice that the San Francisco Mint could only produce almost 680 thousand examples.
List Of 1995 Roosevelt Dime Errors
With billions of dimes produced in 1995, it should not be surprising anymore that some 10-cent coins were produced with errors. While error coins are something that the US Mint doesn’t want to have, error coins are valuable in the eyes of collectors. If you’re interested, here are some examples of 1995 Roosevelt dime errors:
Off-center strike
The off-center strike error happens when the die hits the planchet at the wrong angle. This is usually caused by the improper alignment of the planchet and die. Off-center strikes vary in the degree of error. So, how it looks may be different from one to another.
Here’s an example of a slightly off-center strike:
Image source: Hobby Lark
The off-center strike is most noticeable at the top of the coin. You’ll notice that the error caused the coin to have double rims.
Missing clad layer
The dime has 25% nickel in it. The nickel is used to cover the surface of the dime and make it look shinier. However, sometimes the dime wasn’t properly covered with nickel.
This is how the missing clad layer looks:
Image source: eBay
In this example, you’ll find that the coin’s obverse side is missing its lustrous layer. If you flip the coin to its reverse side, you’ll see this:
Image source: eBay
This is how the dime is supposed to look if it is properly layered.
Broadstrike
The broadstrike error causes the coin to look spread out like a pancake. This happens when the die collar is improperly positioned or loose.
Here’s an example of a 1995 dime broadstrike error:
Image source: eBay
Strike-through error
The strike-through error is an error that happens when a foreign object gets in between the die and planchet at the moment of strike. It is called strike-through error because the die struck through foreign material.
Foreign materials can be different things such as cloth, metal clippings, dust, and grease. Here’s an example of a strike-through error caused by grease:
Image source: eBay
Notice the W in the word “WE.” The W isn’t clear. The grease caused the strike on this part of the coin to be weak. Thus, the die didn’t completely hit the letter W, causing it to look faded.
How Much Is 1995 Roosevelt Dime Worth Today?
The 1995 Roosevelt dime has a melt value of $0.0236. Its face value is 10 cents. Because this coin doesn’t normally have precious metals, it trades at its face value. If you buy or sell this coin, you can expect a price of less than a dollar, especially for circulated versions.
Nevertheless, there are still 1995 Roosevelt dimes that are worth a lot of money. Here’s a quick look at the auction records for each of the dimes:
Coin | Condition | Grade | Sold date | Sold by | Value |
1995 S Silver Proof Roosevelt Dime | Perfect Uncirculated – Deep Cameo | PR 70 | July 20, 2004 | Heritage Auctions | $834 |
1995 D Roosevelt Dime | Superb Gem Uncirculated – Full Band
|
MS 67 | March 1, 2017 | eBay | $611 |
1995 P Roosevelt Dime | Superb Gem Uncirculated – Full Band | MS 68 | October 23, 2020 | eBay | $500 |
There are also error coins that could be worth more than their face value. So, keep looking, and you might find the right coin with the highest price.
How Does The Grading System Work?
The 1995 Roosevelt dime is graded in the same way as other coins. Usually, the Sheldon Scale is used to know its condition. There are different factors to consider when assessing a 1995 dime. These include but are not limited to strike, level of preservation, luster, and attractiveness.
Professional numismatists joined together in the 1970s and established CoinGrading standards. These numismatists now assign grades at key places on the seventy-point scale, using the most regularly utilized numeric points in conjunction with the original adjective grade. The following are the most common coin grades:
- (P-1) Poor – Indistinguishable and probably damaged; if used, must have a date and mintmark; otherwise, rather battered.
- (FR-2) Fair – Nearly smooth, but without the damage that a coin graded Poor often possesses. The coin must have enough detail to be identified.
- (G-4) Fair – Inscriptions have merged into the rims in some areas, and important elements have been mostly erased.
- (VG-8) Very Good- A little weathered, but all primary design elements are visible, albeit faintly. There is little, if any, central detail left.
- (F-12) Good – The item is very worn, yet the wear is even, and the overall design details stand out clearly. Rims are almost completely isolated from the field.
- (VF-20) Very Fine – Moderately weathered, with some finer features still visible. The motto or all letters of LIBERTY are readable. Both sides of the coin have entire rims separated from the field.
- (EF-40) Extremely Fine – Gently used; all gadgets are visible, and the most important ones are bold. The finer details are bold and clear; however, light wear may be seen.
- (AU-50) Uncirculated – Slight evidence of wear on the coin’s design’s high points; it may have contact marks; eye appeal should be adequate.
- (AU-58) Uncirculated Choice – Slight traces of wear, no severe contact marks, almost full mint shine, and great eye appeal.
- (MS-60) Mint State Basal – Strictly uncirculated; no indication of wear on the coin’s highest points, but an unsightly coin with reduced luster, visible contact marks, hairlines, and other flaws.
- (MS-63) Mint State Acceptable – Uncirculated, but with contact scratches and nicks, little reduced shine, but otherwise appealing appearance. The strike is weak to average.
- (MS-65) Mint State Choice – Uncirculated with great mint shine, little contact blemishes, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is unusually severe.
- (MS-68) Mint State Premium Quality – Uncirculated with superb luster, no obvious contact marks to the naked eye, and exceptional eye appeal. The strike is quick and appealing.
- (MS-69) Almost Perfect Mint State – Uncirculated with perfect brilliance, a sharp and appealing strike, and extremely good eye appeal. A near-perfect coin with minor imperfections in the planchet, strike, and contact markings (seen only under 8x magnification).
- (MS-70) Mint State Perfect – Under 8x magnification, no tiny imperfections are discernible; the strike is crisp, and the coin is perfectly centered on a beautiful planchet. Rarely seen on a coin, this coin is bright and whole, with original luster and exceptional eye appeal.
Moreover, an appraiser would look at the horizontal band on the Liberty torch. If it has a detailed and complete band, the coin is called Full Band and can potentially command a higher price.
Where To Buy Or Sell 1995 Roosevelt Dime?
The 1995 Roosevelt Dime is available online and offline. You can get a 1995 dime on Amazon, eBay, and Etsy. Moreover, these websites would also allow you to sell your dimes. You can also do a Google search and find numerous websites that could help you buy or sell 1995 Roosevelt dimes.
If the Internet isn’t your thing, you can visit coin shops and auction houses. These places are known to have some rare coins that might interest you.
FAQs
Is a 1995 dime silver?
The regularly struck dime is not made of silver, but rather it is made of 75% copper and 25% nickel. Nevertheless, the US Mint produced special Proof Sets that include the 1995 dime. The proof 1995 dime coin is made of 90% silver and 10% copper.
How much is a 1995 D dime error worth?
If you have a 1995 D dime error coin, the price of that could be more than one dollar ($1). It depends on the error’s extent and the coin’s uniqueness. Some rare error dimes were sold for a few hundred dollars.