1996-W Roosevelt Dime
Circulation strike struck at the West Point Mint · 1,457,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,457,000
- Metal
- Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel
- Weight
- 2.268 g
- Diameter
- 17.91 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1996-W Roosevelt Dime worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Full torch bands (FT)
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1996-W Roosevelt Dime rare?
- Yes. Only 1,457,000 were made, the lowest of any regular Roosevelt Dime.
- Is the 1996-W Roosevelt Dime silver?
- No. It's copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel. Dimes dated 1964 and earlier are 90% silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1996 Roosevelt Dime?
- On the obverse, just above the date. "P" appears from 1980. On this coin the mark is W, for West Point.
- How many 1996-W Roosevelt Dime coins were made?
- 1,457,000.
What to check on your 1996-W
- Make sure the mint mark really is a W. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1996-D (1.4 billion made).
- A face that's fully copper colored could be a missing clad layer error. Patchy discoloration is usually damage.
- 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.
The story of the 1996-W
This was the first time West Point made the Roosevelt Dime for circulation: 1,457,000 coins. It turned out to be West Point's last Roosevelt Dime for circulation.
The other mints made far more that year: 1996-P alone came to 1.4 billion, roughly 975 for every 1996-W. If you're checking a pile of 1996 coins, the W is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1955 (12,450,181) and the 1949-S (13,510,000).
Silver proofs and the 1996-W (1992 to 2008)
Silver proof sets returned in 1992, so collectors could once more buy proof dimes struck in 90 percent silver at San Francisco alongside the clad proofs. In 1996 the Mint marked the dime's 50th anniversary by placing a West Point dime with a W mint mark in each uncirculated set. About 1.46 million were made, the lowest mintage dime of the 1990s apart from the proofs.
Circulation demand peaked in 1999, when Philadelphia alone struck more than 2.1 billion dimes. From 2005 the dimes in uncirculated sets carried a satin finish that sets them apart from business strikes, a detail worth checking when sorting coins removed from sets. Dimes of this era found in pocket change are usually lightly worn clad pieces with their outer layers intact. Proof dimes from both the clad and silver sets of these years survive in large numbers.
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
Specifications
| Series | Roosevelt Dime (1946–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1996 |
| Mint | West Point Mint |
| Mint mark | "W" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,457,000 |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | Copper core clad in 75% copper / 25% nickel |
| Weight | 2.268 grams |
| Diameter | 17.91 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | John R. Sinnock |
Other 1996 Roosevelt Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996-P Roosevelt Dime | 1,421,163,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1996-D Roosevelt Dime | 1,400,300,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1996-W Roosevelt Dime | 1,457,000 | Circulation strike | – |
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.