In the United States, the current dime (the ten-cent coin) features the face of President Franklin D. Roosevelt on its obverse side (heads). He has been depicted on the dime since 1946.
The decision to place Roosevelt on the dime, shortly after his passing in 1945, was a way to honor his legacy and contributions, which include leading the country through the Great Depression and World War II. Additionally, he founded the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, later known as the March of Dimes, an organization dedicated to fighting polio, a disease he himself contracted.
- The dime has been in circulation for a long time, first minted in 1796 with Liberty as the central theme, [according to the U.S. Mint (.gov)].
- Designs have evolved over time, including the Draped Bust, Capped Bust, Seated Liberty, and the Winged Liberty Head (or “Mercury”) dime.
- The Roosevelt dime’s reverse side shows a torch with an olive branch to the left and an oak branch to the right. These symbols represent liberty, peace, and strength, respectively.
- In 1965, the composition of the dime changed from silver to a copper-nickel alloy, [according to the U.S. Mint (.gov)].
Who’s face is on the nickel coin?
The person on the obverse (heads) of the nickel is Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd president. He’s been on the nickel since 1938, although the current portrait dates to 2006. The building on the reverse (tails) is called “Monticello.” Monticello was Jefferson’s home in Virginia, which he designed himself.
Who is the lady on a dime?
Good point! The winged Liberty is widely believed, however, to have been based on a 1913 bust Weinman sculpted of Elsie Stevens, wife of Wallace Stevens. A lawyer and insurance executive, Wallace Stevens later became famous as a poet; Wallace and Elsie Stevens rented an apartment from Weinman from 1909 to 1916.