Is the 1953 Roosevelt Dime rare?

Not in absolute terms: 53 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.

Is the 1953 Roosevelt Dime silver?

Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.

Where is the mint mark on a 1953 Roosevelt Dime?

On the reverse, to the left of the torch's base. No mint mark means Philadelphia.

Which Philadelphia dates near 1953 are scarcer?

The 1955 at 12,450,181, the 1949 at 30,940,000, the 1958 at 31,910,000, plus 1 more. So the 1953 is on the scarcer side for those years.

Roosevelt Dime · Dimes

1953 Roosevelt Dime

Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 53,490,120 made

Silver

Mintage: 53,490,120
Metal: 90% silver, 10% copper
Weight: 2.5 g
Diameter: 17.91 mm

Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.

Pure silver0.0723troy oz

Value band: Metal value

Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.

What is a 1953 Roosevelt Dime worth?

In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.0723 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.

What would make yours worth more:

Uncirculated condition with full original luster
Full torch bands (FT)
A die variety or minting error

For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.

Quick answers

Is the 1953 Roosevelt Dime rare?: Not in absolute terms: 53 million were made. It is one of the smaller runs in the series, though, so uncirculated examples are worth a little more than most dates.
Is the 1953 Roosevelt Dime silver?: Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.
Where is the mint mark on a 1953 Roosevelt Dime?: On the reverse, to the left of the torch's base. No mint mark means Philadelphia.
Which Philadelphia dates near 1953 are scarcer?: The 1955 at 12,450,181, the 1949 at 30,940,000, the 1958 at 31,910,000, plus 1 more. So the 1953 is on the scarcer side for those years.
How many 1953 Roosevelt Dime coins were made?: 53,490,120.

What to check on your 1953

There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1953 Roosevelt Dime Proof (128,800 made) is the one to compare with.
Judge the grade under good light. Check the horizontal bands on the torch on the reverse. "Full Bands" (FB) coins, where the bands are complete and separated, carry big premiums. On the obverse look at Roosevelt's hair above the ear.

Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.

The story of the 1953

Philadelphia made 53,490,120 in 1953, down from 99 million in 1952. The next year it made 114 million (1954).

1953-S came to 39 million and 1953-D came to 136 million, so neither mint's 1953 coin is much scarcer than the other.

Philadelphia struck the Roosevelt Dime in 80 issues between 1946 and 2025. By mintage this one lands in the scarcer half, while the key for that mint is the 1955 (12,450,181). Within the 1950s it's 12th smallest of 26, between the 1950 (50 million) and the 1951-D (57 million).

Silver dimes from three mints (1946 to 1955)

The Roosevelt dime went into circulation on January 30, 1946, Franklin Roosevelt's birthday, less than a year after his death. John R. Sinnock's design honored the president's work for the March of Dimes. Philadelphia struck more than 255 million in that first year alone. Denver and San Francisco also struck dimes, with the mint mark placed on the reverse just left of the torch base. Proof dimes returned in 1950 after a pause that began during World War II.

Output fell sharply in 1949 and again in 1955. The 1949-S at about 13.5 million and the three 1955 issues have the lowest mintages of the silver era. The 1955-S was also the last dime with an S mint mark made for circulation. Collectors look closely at the torch, where fully separated horizontal bands earn a Full Bands designation. Most survivors from these years are worn silver pieces that were pulled from change before 1965.

How to recognize it

Franklin Roosevelt faces left with LIBERTY in front of him, IN GOD WE TRUST below his chin and the date at the lower right. The designer's initials JS sit below the neck. The reverse shows a torch flanked by an olive branch and an oak branch, with E PLURIBUS UNUM across the field. The mint mark was to the left of the torch base until 1964 and has been above the date since 1968.

Mintage chart

Roosevelt Dime mintages, 1953 highlightedLog scale · hover or tap a bar · 1946–2025

Specifications

Series	Roosevelt Dime (1946–present)
Year	1953
Mint	Philadelphia Mint
Mint mark	None
Strike type	Circulation strike
Mintage	53,490,120
Face value	10¢
Composition	90% silver, 10% copper
Weight	2.5 grams
Diameter	17.91 mm
Edge	Reeded
Silver content	0.0723 troy oz (2.250 g)
Designer	John R. Sinnock

Other 1953 Roosevelt Dime issues

Coin	Mintage	Type	Silver
1953 Roosevelt Dime	53,490,120	Circulation strike	0.0723 oz
1953 Roosevelt Dime Proof	128,800	Proof	0.0723 oz
1953-D Roosevelt Dime	136,433,000	Circulation strike	0.0723 oz
1953-S Roosevelt Dime	39,180,000	Circulation strike	0.0723 oz

Mintage: Roosevelt dime mintage figures (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.