1964 Dime Pattern - RB-2000, INCO

Coin Details

Description

The first in the RB-2000 series of experimental clad dime patterns produced by the International Nickel Company for the United States Treasury's silver replacement study. Cataloged as RB-2000 in the Robinson-Breen reference system, this test piece was struck from standard 1964 Roosevelt dime dies on a planchet of experimental alloy composition. The RB-2000 through RB-2035 group represents a systematic progression through different alloy formulations, each varying in the proportions of nickel, copper, and other metals in the cladding layers and core. INCO's approach to the coinage crisis was methodical: rather than proposing a single alternative alloy, they prepared dozens of candidate compositions and struck test pieces from each, allowing side-by-side comparison of striking characteristics, surface appearance, edge visibility of the clad layers, and resistance to tarnishing and wear. The Roosevelt dime was a natural starting point for these tests because the dime, as the smallest silver denomination, was the coin most immediately threatened by the silver shortage — its low face value relative to silver content meant it would be the first denomination hoarded once bullion prices crossed the critical threshold. RB-2000 represents one of the baseline compositions in the experimental series, a copper-nickel clad formulation similar to what was ultimately adopted for production coinage under the Coinage Act of 1965.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. The RB-series experimental patterns were produced in minimal quantities, typically only a handful of specimens per alloy composition. Most remain in institutional or advanced specialist collections.

Cross References

RB-2000 (Robinson-Breen catalog). INCO/Medallic Art Company experimental clad coinage program, 1964. Related to the Coinage Act of 1965 (Public Law 89-81).