(1965) Dime Pattern - RB-4035, INCO

Coin Details

Description

The highest-numbered entry in the 1965 INCO experimental dime series, RB-4035 represents the final dime-denomination alloy variant tested during the second phase of the clad composition program. As the concluding piece in the RB-4000 dime sequence, this composition may represent either the most refined formulation in the series or an outlier composition tested for comparison purposes. The entire 1965 dime testing program built upon the foundation established by the 1964 first-phase experiments (the RB-2000 series), which had already demonstrated the basic viability of copper-nickel clad construction for the dime denomination. The 1965 pieces served a confirmatory role, verifying that the selected composition performed as expected under varied striking conditions and that production-scale manufacturing would be feasible. Within months of these tests, billions of clad dimes would begin pouring from the Philadelphia, Denver, and — for the first time — San Francisco Mints, transforming American pocket change forever. The experimental pieces that made this revolution possible, including RB-4035, survive as rare physical evidence of one of the most consequential changes in United States coinage history.

Rarity Notes

R-7 to R-8. Extremely rare. As the final entry in the RB-4000 dime series, this composition was produced in particularly limited numbers.

Cross References

Research Blank RB-4035 (Gould/INCO experimental series)