Saturday, March 21, 2009

President On The Dime

Franklin Delano Roosevelt is the president on the dime. The obverse side which shows the bust of Roosevelt, also has the legend "Liberty" along the rim, and the motto "In God We Trust". The date of issue is also found on the obverse of the dime with a corresponding mint mark located above the date. The reverse design is a flaming torch and two different branches of leaves, olive leaves to the left and oak leaves to the right. It also includes "United States of America" is above the torch , "One Dime" is written below the torch, and the motto "E Pluribus Unum" is written sort of in the background of the dime just below and behind the torch.. This design was first introduced in 1946 and is still in use today.
Who was Franklin D. Roosevelt?

Franklin D. Roosevelt, who is the featured president on the dime, was 42nd President of the United States (32nd under the 1787 Constitution). He was born on January 30, 1882 on his parents property of Hyde Park, in New York. He was elected to an unprecedented four terms, 1933 - 1941, and died in office. He remains the only U.S. president elected more than twice. And in fact, an amendment to the the US Constitution (22nd Amendment) only allowed presidents to serve 2 terms, due to his 4 terms of office. Since 1946, Roosevelt's portrait has appeared on the obverse of the U.S. dime. This honor was bestowed upon him for his many achievements, but the dime was a symbolic reference to the March of Dimes, an effort of find a cure for polio, which Roosevelt founded in 1938.

Roosevelt, the president on the dime, has had a bit of competition with a new act to replace the long lasting reign of Roosevelt's bust on the the front on the dime with a new bust of Ronald Reagan. Of course, the March of Dimes has greatly opposed this Act, along with Nancy Reagan, to allow Roosevelt's bust to remain on the obverse of the dime, to keep the honor of FDR in lasting memory for his work with the March of Dimes. I guess we will see who becomes the new president on the dime. Hopefully, FDR will remain on the face of the dime, and the US Government can find another respectful way to honor Ronald Reagan.
Source: thecoinalley.com