1964 Dime Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

The 1964 dime is a special coin. It’s one of the last coins created with silver before the silver shortage. In the mid-60s as silver became scarce, the US congress decided that all coins minted in the United States of America must switch from being mostly silver to other materials. While the 1964 dime value is generally not particularly extreme, it carries historical and sentimental value for collectors.

The 1964 dime is a coin in the Roosevelt Dime Category. This coin has been struck, used, and circulated in the American financial system since 1946. It first appeared after   President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s death in 1945.

Let’s take a look at the 1964 dime in greater detail.

1964 Dime Value Chart
Series/Mint Mark	Good	Very Good	MS 60	MS 65+
1964 No Mint Mark Dime Value	$1.9	$1.9	$3.17	$7
1964 D Dime Value	$1.9	$1.9	$3.17	$7
1964 Proof (no mint mark) Dime Value	$10-15	$12-18	$18-50	$350-1000+
1964 Special Mint Set (SMS) Dime Value	$4.000	$5.200	$8.000	$20.0000

In the Roosevelt dime series from 1964, there are two primary coins minted in Philadelphia and Denver. Then there are the proofs made for collectors. These are generally of higher value because they’re of a higher quality than the normal coins. Furthermore, they take longer to produce, have greater detail work, are shinier, and have more luster; they’re simply nicer to look at.

Then there are the special mint set coins. Why these coins were struck is unknown. Eva Adams, the US Mint Director at the time, is believed to be involved in producing these coins. We’ll discuss them further down in the Value and Varieties section.

The country was a bit torn on whether or not Roosevelt should appear on the coin. Some argued he wasn’t as significant a president as the other presidents that appear on money: Namely, Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson.

Others made a point that the dime was too small of a denomination to do Roosevelt justice. They would rather see him represent a larger coin. Lastly, it was also argued that the beauty of the previous mercury coin was too good to be replaced.

In 1946, one year after his death, the Roosevelt Dime series started its production and are still being produced to this day.

1964 Dime No Mint Mark Value

The coin was designed and engraved by sculptor John Sinnock, who also designed the Benjamin Franklin Half-dollar.

The obverse – the “heads” of the coin – features left-facing Franklin D Roosevelt. His portrait is rather large compared to other types of coins. The word Liberty is written on the coin’s left side, and in front of Roosevelt’s face.

Underneath his chin is the American motto “In God We Trust” inscribed, which is also something that appears on many coins. Behind his neckline, there are two inscriptions. The most noticeable one is the year the coin was minted – 1964. The other one is the letters J and S. The initials of John Sinnock.

The reverse of the coin is the side where the designer can be more creative. And it’s this side of the coin that is most unique compared to other coins, generally. On the 1964 dime, we see a flaming liberty torch in the very center.

On the left side of the torch is an olive sprig. Something seen on many American coins. On the right side, there is an oak sprig. The idea behind the oak is that it symbolizes America’s growth, strength, and liberty. Olive springs, seen on several coins, represent peace.

The coin’s denomination is written in large letters on the bottom. In between the olive sprig, the flaming torch, and the oak sprig, is the phrase “E Pluribus Unum” written. This translates to “out of many, one”, which also represents the American states’ uniting as one nation. Along the top edge is the nation’s name written along the curve of the coin – “United States of America”.

There is one distinct feature on the reverse that can increase the value of the 1964 dime significantly. It’s referred to as “full bands”. These bands are located on the reverse side, on the torch. Two bands can be seen on both the upper part as well as the bottom part of the torch. To be a “full band”, and thus more valuable, the line between both sets of bands must remain unbroken.

The number of 1964 dime coins struck is large. In total, 2,290,827,942 were produced. 929,360,000 of these were created in the Philadelphia mint. While there are still many coins of this 1964 series left, a good chunk of them have disappeared. That means this is generally not considered a rare coin.

Besides, due to the silver shortage, many coins were melted because their value in silver was worth more than the coin itself. While many of them were melted for their silver content, the value remains modest in most parts.

A silver coin in circulated condition will be at least worth its weight in silver. In 2023 that would equal around $1.73 for one dime. This is not bad, per se, considering the dime’s face value worth is $0.10.

1964 no mint mark dime value will increase depending on the condition of the coin. Coins with a high grade are typically worth a little more money. Every coin series produces coins with some rarity and error, creating unique coins. These can have a higher value than normal coins. We’ll discuss these 1964 coin errors further down.

1964 D Dime Value

The value of the 1964 D dime is similar to the ones minted in Philadelphia. Albeit, these are easier to come across today to the large number minted in Denver. Almost 1.4 billion coins were produced with the mint mark D.

Lower-graded D Dimes have a similar value as the no mint mark one. Regular 1964 dimes, depending on the exact condition, will have a value of $2-15. The differences become more apparent the higher in the grading scale it is.

A D dime with the full band can increase its value dramatically. An MS 67 Denver produced time can be worth between 30-40 dollars. If it’s a full-band coin, the value can increase tenfold.

In 2018, a full band 1964 D Dime was sold for close to 6000 dollars on eBay.

1964 Proof Dime Value

Close to 4 million proofs were created for this coin series. What sets it apart from many other proof coins is that this one does not have a mint mark. Often proof coins are produced in San Francisco, where they specialize in the making of the proofs.

However, in 1964, proofs were minted in Philadelphia where they did not use a mint mark until 1980. Normally, the proof coin would have the “S” mint mark.

A decently well-preserved proof can be valued at $50. A Silver proof in great condition is worth several hundred dollars.

1964 Special Mint Sets

Sometimes an extra set of coins are produced and released. These special strike coins are known as Special Mint Sets (SMS). Usually, these SMS are produced in years where there is no proof coin.

What’s interesting about the 1964 SMS is that there were proofs produced this year too. The exact reason why these SMS coins exist is unknown. Some believe that they’re a prototype for the coming year’s special strike coins.

Regardless, these coins are very rare and very valuable. It’s believed to only exist between 20 to 50 SMS coins from 1964. The special strike coins were struck in Philadelphia, so they don’t have a mint mark.

As mentioned, these coins are valuable. Grade SP 64 can be worth between $4000 – $5000. Grade SP68 is worth around $20.000.

1964 Dime Value Grading

Every coin is evaluated by its condition. Coins in circulated conditions, meaning they’ve been actively used as currency for decades, will receive a lower grade. This is because the coins get worn out when in use.

The details and craftsmanship start to disappear from the surface of the coin.

There are extremely well-preserved coins. They’re either uncirculated because someone chose not to ever use them, or it’s a proof coin (whose overall quality is better than those intended for a transaction). These are the coins that get high grades are reach values of thousands of dollars.

Rare 1964 Dime Value Errors List

There are a few noticeable and even (almost) common errors on the 1964 dime series.

1964 Dime Double strike

The double strike can happen when the coin isn’t released properly after being struck. This results in another strike, on top of the already-struck coin. Not only will there be an image overlap, but the shape of the coin can also be affected.

The 1964 Dime value when doubled struck in this way is close to $500.

1964 Dime Broken Planchet

One coin sold for over $300 was stuck on a broken and defective planchet. In this particular situation, the upper part of the disc was missing, but the coin was struck regardless.

The defective dime ended up weighing less than its normal counterpart.

1964 Dime Featuring Washington

One particularly interesting 1964 dime is one featuring the first president Washington. Somehow a Washington quarter image made it on a Roosevelt Dime during the minting process.

This coin sold for over $4000.

1964 Dime Value FAQ

What is a 1964 silver dime worth today?

In decent condition, they tend to have a value of 2-7 dollars. Well-preserved and uncirculated coins can be worth much more. The coin lacks value due to the large amount that was minted in 1964. Over 2 billion of these coins were produced. Large quantities like this will affect the overall value.

However, a unique coin featuring a minting error, among these 2 billion, can be made even more valuable than it normally would’ve been in a smaller production.

Is a 1964 dime real silver?

Yes. In 1964, coins were minted with a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper. In 1965, the government changed the content of coin currency. They replaced all silver with 90%copper and 10% nickel.

Since then the only coins to contain silver are the special “silver set” coins.