Serving an unprecedented four terms, FDR guided the U.S. through the Great Depression and World War II, solidifying his reputation as one of the greatest leaders our country has known. shortly after his death in 1945, lawmakers proposed to replace the celebrated Mercury dime design with Roosevelt ’ south image, in respect of the late president ‘s significant contributions. In addition to his geopolitical bequest, FDR was besides chosen for his interest in founding the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which later became the March of Dimes.
Upon Congress ’ s blessing of the redesign legislation, the Mint was left with restrict time to produce the new coin. As a solution, Chief Engraver John R. Sinnock was tasked with the job, making the Roosevelt dime the beginning regular-issue mint in more than 40 years to be designed in-house by a Mint employee.
The newly fashioned Roosevelt dime bag was released on January 30, 1946, what would have been the late president ’ s 64th birthday, and is hush produced and circulated today. The Roosevelt dime bag features FDR ’ mho visibility portrait on its obverse, and on the reversion, depicts a torch representing familiarity, an olive arm symbolizing peace, and an oak branch epitomizing persuasiveness. While the redesign was motivated by honor for a capital president, the execution was not without controversy.
As part of his design, Sinnock included his initials, “ JS, ” which, in the midst of the widespread anti-Communist opinion, were taken to represent the then-Soviet leader, Joseph Stalin. The rumors suggested that the two-letter engraving was placed on the coins by a soviet agent, which the Mint swiftly and publicly rejected. additionally, speculation about the true origins of Roosevelt ’ s picture began to swirl .
While Sinnock stated that he used imagination previously created by him for the Roosevelt decoration that he besides designed, some claimed that the Chief Engraver borrowed the presidential word picture from african American sculptor Selma Burke ‘s bas-relief of FDR. The Roosevelt dime has been minted per annum since its initial 1946 release .
The Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco mints produced circulating versions through 1955, after which, San Francisco produced Proofs merely. In 1996, to commemorate the Roosevelt dime ‘s fiftieth anniversary, the West Point mint produced a limited run .
