# Why Won't They Redesign The Dime? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 8, 2009, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011 "2009-10-08T02:29:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![the\_first\_supraliminal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f475e1/32.png) [@the\_first\_supraliminal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_first_supraliminal)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/21 "2009-10-08T16:49:25Z")
I loved the Dutch “dimes” that were smaller than the US ones. You did not mind getting a bunch in change because they were so light. If I recall correctly, they didn’t have a “quarter” coin, or didn’t use it much, so you got a lot of the “dimes” ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/22 "2009-10-08T16:52:21Z")
Anyone have a half dime? Those were made in the 1800s. ---
**Author:** ![Clark\_Cello](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Clark\_Cello](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Clark_Cello)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/23 "2009-10-08T17:10:39Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Anyone have a half dime? Those were made in the 1800s. I have several of them. Around here, we call it a “nickel”. Maybe it is a regional name. ---
**Author:** ![BorgHunter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@BorgHunter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BorgHunter)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/24 "2009-10-08T17:25:38Z")
> [@Clark\_Cello](#): > > I have several of them. Around here, we call it a “nickel”. Maybe it is a regional name. The U.S. five cent piece was formerly known as a half dime, and these were silver coins. The nickel and half dime coexisted for seven years, from 1866 to 1873, before the latter was discontinued. [The Wikipedia article on half dimes](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Half_dime) may be instructive. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/25 "2009-10-08T17:37:06Z")
> [@Zsofia](#): > > All those redesigns are seriously fugly - really, do you want something like Zombie Jefferson? Well, FDR did have more sunken eyes so at least Zombie FDR wouldn’t look as uncanny-valleyish. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/26 "2009-10-08T17:39:14Z")
> [@Serenata67](#): > > Yeah, after the states, they went to territories and DC. Then the parks series. If I remember correctly, they’re doing one park from each state. (WI has the Apostle Islands.) After the parks they’re doing snack foods, and then reality TV stars. ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/27 "2009-10-08T17:46:25Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > They are going to have quarters for national parks starting in 2010. Actually, it’s the [America the Beautiful series](http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/NSQuartersProgram/) and it will include more than just national parks. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/28 "2009-10-08T17:49:43Z")
You are correct they are including other sites because not every state has a national park. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/29 "2009-10-08T17:55:05Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Here is the [plaque](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Roosevelt_plaque.jpg) Burke designed, that some believe served as the inspiration for the obverse of the dime. Here is the [dime](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2005_Dime_Obv_Unc_P.png). They are both profiles. Other than that, they are nothing alike. I don’t know - both of those look like the exact same person. ---
**Author:** ![Bijou\_Drains](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bijou_drains/32/2814_2.png) [@Bijou\_Drains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bijou_Drains)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/30 "2009-10-08T17:56:33Z")
They keep trying new dollar coins and people still don’t like them. They need to follow Canada’s lead and get rid of the dollar bill. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/31 "2009-10-08T18:11:45Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Well, FDR did have more sunken eyes so at least Zombie FDR wouldn’t look as uncanny-valleyish. It would help if the view weren’t, you know, up his nose. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/32 "2009-10-08T18:28:02Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > I don’t know - both of those look like the exact same person. They _are_ the exact same person. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![BomTek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bomtek/32/21364_2.png) [@BomTek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BomTek)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/33 "2009-10-08T18:59:21Z")
This is off-topic, but I remember reading somewhere that the US dime is the most valuable coin in the world by weight. Is that still true now that the dollar has gone down in value a bit? ---
**Author:** ![Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d9b06d/32.png) [@Boozahol\_Squid\_P.I](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boozahol_Squid_P.I)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/34 "2009-10-08T19:04:36Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > They keep trying new dollar coins and people still don’t like them. They need to follow Canada’s lead and get rid of the dollar bill. The last time I went abroad and used cash (nowadays, I use my debit card for pretty much everything) and wound up lugging around fistfuls of change because of the lack of dollar bills. It might just be my general association of paying in change with bums counting out two dollars and eighteen cents at the convenience store, but it’s a very strange thing to haul out all the change in your pocket to pay for something, rather than just fishing around for the odd penny or nickel to make a dollar change even. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/35 "2009-10-08T19:13:58Z")
> [@Ludovic](#): > > Well, FDR did have more sunken eyes so at least Zombie FDR wouldn’t look as uncanny-valleyish. Well, one of the first things he did on assuming office was to set up a Brains Trust! Just sayin’… 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/36 "2009-10-08T19:36:21Z")
> [@Bijou\_Drains](#): > > Anyone have a half dime? Those were made in the 1800s. I have one…they were _tiny_. But even smaller were the three-cent silver pieces. Says a lot about inflation, that a three-cent coin was once made of silver. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011/37 "2009-10-08T19:42:02Z")
> [@Duke](#): > > I have one…they were _tiny_. But even smaller were the three-cent silver pieces. Says a lot about inflation, that a three-cent coin was once made of silver. You want inflation? The original English pennies (after which the colloquialism for a U.S. once-cent piece was derived), meaning the coin that ended its life as 1/240 of a pound, was originally a silver coin of, IIRC, approximately the size of an American quarter. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-wont-they-redesign-the-dime/513011.md?page=1)