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Who developed the image on the dime?
The portrait of Franklin Delano Roosevelt on the dime was created by Dr. Selma Burke, remarkable sculptor, dedicated
teacher and winner of the 1943 competition sponsored by the Fine Arts Commission for the District of Columbia. In
1944, President Roosevelt posed for the artist and her completed bronze plaque was unveiled by President Harry S.
Truman in 1945. It can be seen at the Recorder of Deeds building in Washington, D.C. Since the coin bears the initials of
the engraver, John Sinnock, Selma Burke has never received proper credit for the portrait used on the dime.
Robert Perkins said of Selma: “Selma Burke’s artwork is everywhere-from grocery store cash registers to candy vending
machines to your very own wallet.”
Power and Glory by Charles Bibbs
(on opposite page)
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