1991-P

The 1991-P Roosevelt dime came out of Philadelphia at 927,220,000 pieces, falling back below the billion-coin threshold for the first time since the 1987-P production and signaling the end of the 1988-to-1990 high-output stretch. The reduction tracked softer Federal Reserve coin orders as the early-1990s recession took hold and dime demand at point of sale slackened. The P mintmark sat above the date in its established position, the clad sandwich kept the 2.268-gram, 17.91-millimeter cupronickel-on-pure-copper specification, and strike quality across the year ran clean on most working presses. Within the broader Roosevelt arc the 1991-P sits as a transitional issue between the high-volume late 1980s and the variable early-1990s production tempo.

Authentication on the 1991-P follows the standard clad-dime workflow: 2.268 grams on a calibrated scale, P mintmark sharp above the date under 10x magnification, and Full Bands evaluation across the central torch. Full Bands, the third-party grading designation that the two parallel torch bands at the midpoint show complete separation, is reasonably available on 1991-P from original Mint sets and bank-wrapped rolls because strike quality across the year held up. The FB premium concentrates at MS67 FB and finer where PCGS and NGC population reports thin enough to support registry-grade competition. No major business-strike die varieties carry Cherrypickers attribution at the principal level, and the date carries no recognized RPM or doubled-die premium varieties.

The 1991-P circulates in heavy quantity at every base grade and trades at standard type-coin pricing through MS66. The condition-rarity tier opens at MS67 FB where PCGS and NGC population reports thin to registry-relevant levels; MS68 FB examples reach four-figure territory at public auction when certified by a major service. Original Mint sets and bank-wrapped rolls remain the practical hunting ground for upgrade-grade examples, since the bulk of nearly one billion pieces entered circulation rather than collector hands. Base-grade pricing has held flat for decades, and the 1991-P serves as a routine fill in modern Roosevelt date sets. The drop below the billion-coin mark gives the date a useful narrative anchor in production-trend display sets that track Philadelphia output through the era. For Philadelphia's production arc across the late 1980s and early 1990s, see the Roosevelt Dime series history.