The year after the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, it was decided that his image would adorn the new United States dime. The Roosevelt dime was introduced in 1946, and is still the current design used today for the ten cent piece.
The Roosevelt dime was probably designed by John R. Sinnock, as his initials appear on the obverse, to the right of the tip of Roosevelt's neck, and to the left of the year. The year, of course, appears on the lower-right, and "IN GOD WE TRUST" on the lower-left. "LIBERTY" makes a short arc on the upper-right side. The reverse depicts a lit torch in the center, flanked by an olive branch on the left, and an oak branch on the right. "E PLURIBUS UNUM" runs, unevenly spaced, through the lower portion of these elements. "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" arcs along the top of the reverse, while "ONE DIME" arcs along the bottom - similar to the Mercury Head Design previously used for the ten cent piece.
There had been no question that Roosevelt would be depicted on the dime, as he was inflited with Polio. Polio research was funded in part by the "March of Dimes", which was founded during Roosevelt's first term in office.
United States Coinage
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