The Composition of Dimes

Composition

• Dimes have a pure copper core covered by an outer layer that is one-quarter metallic nickel and three-quarters copper. Dimes, dollar coins, half-dollars, quarters and nickels are made from coiled metal strips that measure about 13 inches wide and 1,500 feet long. The metal can withstand years of use. According to the U.S. Mint, a U.S. coin remains in circulation for an average of 25 years.

Manufacturing

• The dime-manufacturing process begins when machines cut dime-sized circles out of the coiled strips -- a process known as blanking. The blanks are then heated through annealing, which softens them. After washing and drying comes a step known as upsetting, during which a rim is raised around the circumference of the circle. A press stamps the metal with the dime's standard head and tail designs. Finally, inspectors check the dimes and machines count and bag them.

Design and Size

• The current version of the dime, the Roosevelt Dime, has been in circulation since 1946. It weighs about 2.3 g, measures about 0.7 inches in diameter and is about 1.35 mm thick. One side depicts President Franklin Roosevelt; the reverse side shows a torch flanked by an olive branch and an oak branch. John Ray Sinnock designed both faces of the coin.

History

• The United States first manufactured dimes in 1792, borrowing the name "disme" from the French, who used it to refer to money with one-tenth the value of something else -- in this case, a silver dollar. Eventually, the "s" was dropped, and the coin became known as the dime. Until 1946, the dime featured the Statue of Liberty. Even now, the word "liberty" remains on the coin beside Roosevelt's face.