Who was on the dime before Roosevelt?

Search: dime

Why: There has been a dime on my bathroom floor for the last few weeks.

Answer: A retrospective:

• 1796–1807 - "Draped Bust" - All 1796 dimes have 15 stars, representing the number of states then in the Union. The first 1797 dimes were minted with 16 stars, reflecting Tennessee's admission as the 16th state. Realizing that the practice of adding one star per state could quickly clutter the coin's design, U.S. Mint ordered just 13 stars for the colonies. Therefore, 1797 dimes can be found with either 13 or 16 stars.

• 1809-1837 - "Capped Bust" - The new reverse featured a Bald Eagle grasping 2 arrows (symbolizing strength) and an olive branch (symbolizing peace). Covering the eagle's breast is a U.S. shield with six horizontal lines and 13 vertical stripes.

• 1837-1891 - "Seated Liberty" - All Seated Liberty dimes contain 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper. This size and metal composition would continue until 1965, when silver was permanently removed from circulating dimes. Thirteen stars were added to the perimeter of the obverse in 1838. These were replaced with the legend "United States of America," which was moved from the reverse in mid-1860. At the same time, the laurel wreath on the reverse was changed to a wreath of corn, wheat, maple, and oak leaves and expanded nearly to the rim of the coin.

• 1892-1916 - "Barber" - Named after designer Charles Barber, the goddess Liberty is wearing a Phrygian cap (a classic symbol of liberty and freedom), a laurel wreath (for victory) with a ribbon, and a headband with the inscription "LIBERTY." The portrait was inspired by French coins and medals of the period, as well as ancient Greek and Roman sculpture.

• 1916-1945 - "Winged Liberty Head (Mercury)" - Goddess Liberty wears a Phrygian cap with wings that symbolize freedom of thought. A fasces juxtaposed with an olive branch, was intended to symbolize America's readiness for war, combined with its desire for peace. Although the fasces symbol was later adopted by Benito Mussolini and his National Fascist Party, the symbol was quite common in American iconography and has generally avoided any stigma associated with its usage in wartime Italy. A traditional fasces is a bundle of white birch rods tied with a red leather ribbon and mounted with an ax.
  

Source: Wikipedia

The More You Know: Confession: Until about 6 months ago, I thought the face on the dime was John F. Kennedy.

• 1946-present - "Roosevelt" - The dime was chosen to honor Roosevelt partly due to his efforts in the founding of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, which raised money for polio research and to aid victims of the disease and their families. The public had been urged to send in a dime to the Foundation, and by Roosevelt's death, the Foundation was already popularly known as the "March of Dimes."

On the back are an olive branch, an oak branch (strength and endurance) and a torch (enlightenment).