1996-W 10C, FB MS68FB Certification #43264478, PCGS #85189

Charles Morgan

The 1996-W Roosevelt Dime (#5189, FB # 85189) was a novel striking of the ten-cent coin, issued to mark the 50th anniversary of the design. It holds the distinction of being the first base-metal coin struck at West Point to carry the "W" mintmark. While West Point had occasionally supported the Philadelphia Mint in previous years, those "overflow" strikes were indistinguishable from Philadelphia issues; the 1996-W was the first to proudly display its origin.

With a mintage of just 1,457,000, the 1996-W appears at first glance to be the absolute key to the series. Its mintage is roughly one-tenth that of the 1955 Philadelphia (#5109, FB #85109) or the 1949-S (#5093, #85093). However, in terms of actual survival rates, the coins are incomparable. While the 1949 and 1955 issues were released into general circulation and suffered high attrition, especially after the removal of silver content from circulating coinage, the 1996-W was struck exclusively for the 1996 United States Mint Uncirculated Coin Set. Because they were sold directly to collectors, nearly the entire mintage survives in Mint State today. Despite this, the 1996-W remains a popular coin that has maintained collector interest for thirty years, allowing the 1996 Mint Set to consistently outperform other sets of the era.

Adding the "W" Mintmark Was Not So Easy

Producing the dies for the 1996-W did not go as planned. Mint Engraver John Mercanti was tasked with hand-punching the mintmark, but because the steel had not been properly annealed (heated to soften), the "W" punch mushroomed and was rendered unusable. Since it was the only "W" mintmark punch available at the time, Engraver Thomas D. Rogers, Sr. had to pivot. Rogers ultimately created a new dime model from the master plaster and carved the "W" directly into the model, ensuring the anniversary issue could proceed. This explains why the 1996-W Roosevelt Dime's mintmark looks different than the ones used on previous West Point issues.

Full Bands (FB) and Grading

The distribution of "Full Bands" (FB) versus non-FB 1996-W dimes offers an interesting look at the era's production quality. Even though these coins were struck with the extra care typical of Mint Sets, the PCGS Population Report shows a surprisingly narrow gap: roughly 6,700 non-FB to 4,500 FB. This illustrates that even when the Mint was focused on a "special" issue, a full strike on the torch bands was never guaranteed. From a grading perspective, MS67 is the standard "high grade" for the issue. While MS68 specimens are plentiful due to the protected nature of the Mint Sets, the coin becomes a true conditional rarity at the MS69 level—the current "Top Pop" for the issue. No FB-designated 1996-W Roosevelt Dime has graded higher than MS68.

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