1964

Comment: The year 1964 brings to a close the planned production of the Roosevelt dime from the traditional "silver" planchet. The principal reason for this change was the increasing price of silver bullion. The new substitute for silver would be a "sandwich metal" composed of cupro-nickel outer layers bonded to a copper core. As well as being cost effective, this metallic concoction was necessary in order for the new coins to pass through vending machines without rejection and to generally behave as the earlier silver dimes did.

Although most collectors believe that 1964 was the last year that silver dimes would intentionally be coined for general circulation, this is not the case. According to Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States 1793-1980, issued by the Department of the Treasury’s Bureau of the Mint, 1964 dated dimes were struck from January 1964 through April of 1966. It is interesting to note that some silver planchets inadvertently found their way into the new copper-nickel stock and were actually struck with 1965, 1966, and even 1967dates. It is also interesting to note that a converse situation produced 1964 dated dimes struck on the new copper-nickel planchets. These coins are referred to as “Transitional Errors” and are quite rare.

New obverse hubs were introduced during 1964. This resulted in working dies that exhibited some degree of variation. Dimes produced during the early part of 1964 have a pointed tail on the 9 and a plain upper serif on the 1 in the date. Dimes produced during the remainder of the year exhibit a rectangular or blunt tail to the 9 and no serif on the 1 in the date. This second style is the result of the new obverse hub. Business strikes and proofs can be found in both styles.

The die gouge in the “W” of the word WE in the obverse motto IN GOD WE TRUST will be found on many coins from 1964 as it was during the preceding three years (see photo in the chapter for 1961). As of this writing, this gouge has not been reported on coins with pointed tail 9’s, but has been observed on coins with blunt tailed 9’s from both mints including proof issues.

Author's Note: More research needs to be done as to why this imperfection (gouge in the “W” of WE) would occur on many coins from both mints (including proofs) during 1961, 1962, 1963, not be found on the 1964 dated coins with pointed tail 9’s from either mint (including proof’s), and then reappear during the production of coins with blunt tailed 9’s. It must be remembered that coins produced with blunt tailed 9’s were supposedly from a new hub which was put into use after the run of coins produced with pointed tail 9’s.

Pointed 9 Blunt 9

1964 (Philadelphia)

Mintage: 929,360,000 + 3,950,762 proof (933,310,762 total,
both types)

1964 Pointed 9 (estimated mintage under 2,000,000)
1964 Blunt 9 (estimated mintage over 927,000,000)

Doubled Die List

1964 PR-1-O-II-C+VI              PUP: Medium extra thickness on
                                                           IN GOD WE TRUST, JS,
                                                          and date. Strong notches
                                                          on upper left corners of
                                                          LIBERTY.

1964 PR-2-O-V-CCW PUP: Medium spread on IN GOD

WE TRUST, JS side by side,

date and back of head. Notches

on LIB of LIBERTY.

1964 PR-3-O-V-CCW PUP: Light spread on IN GOD WE

TRUST, JS side by side, date,

and LI of LIBERTY.

1964 PR-4-O-V-CCW PUP: Light spread on IN GOD WE

TRUST, JS side by side, and

date.

Note: This obverse has been

paired with the reverse

doubled die identifiable as

Pr-5-R-V-CW.

1964 PR-1-R-II-C PUP: Light doubling on UNITED,

+V-CW ONE, and left dot. Extra

thickness on E PLU and Left

stem.

1964 PR-2-R-II-C PUP: Slight doubling on UNITED

STATES, ONE, and E of

E PLURIBUS.

1964 PR-3-R-V-CW PUP: Medium spread on UNITED,

E PLUR, and lower stem.

Notching on ONE DIME.

1964 PR-4-R-V-CCW PUP: Medium spread on ONE DIME,

AMERICA, and UNUM.

1964 PR-5-R-V-CW PUP: Slight doubling on UNITED

and ONE, and Left stem.

Note: This reverse has been

paired with the obverse

doubled die identifiable

as PR-4-O-V-CCW.

1964 6-R-I-CW PUP: Slight doubling on all letters

and devices around the rim with

lightest on OF AMERICA.

1964 PR-7-R-II-C PUP: Medium rotational spread on

+V-CCW UNITED, ONE DIME, and E

of E PLURIB. Light spread on

STATES OF AMERICA.

1964 8-R-I-CCW PUP: Medium spread on all lettering

around rim, flame tip, and

right leaves. Slight spread on

ONE.

Note: Cataloged by Fivaz and

Stanton in the

Cherrypickers’ Guide as

FS-018.3.

1964 9-R-II-C PUP: Strong rotational spread on OF

+V-CW AMERICA, ONE DIME,

UNUM, and right leaves.

Medium spread toward the

center on STATES and flame

tips.

1964 PR-10-R-I-CW PUP: Light spread on all rim lettering

showing as notched serifs

closest to the rim with the

strongest notching on

UNITED.

1964 11-R-II-C PUP: Light spread on AMERICA,

IME of DIME, and M of

UNUM.

1964 12-R-II-C PUP: Light spread on UNITED

STATES OF AMERICA, ONE

DIME, and M of UNUM.

1964 13-R-II-C PUP: Light spread on AMERICA,

DIME, and M of UNUM.

1964 PR-14-R-II-C PUP: Light spread on UNITED

STATES OF.

1964 PR-15-R-I-CW PUP: Light spread on all rim lettering

showing mostly as notched

serifs, strongest on UNITED.

1964 PR-16-R-II-C+VI PUP: Light spread and extra

thickness on UNITED

STATES.

1964-D

Comment: It seems that at least three different mint mark punches were used during 1964. One was the traditional punch that had been used since 1946. Another was the "round bottom" punch that began service in 1962. A third style, much thinner than the others, is found on a minority of the 1964-D dimes.