1967 SMS

The 1967 SMS Roosevelt dime is one of 1,863,344 pieces issued in the final year of the Special Mint Set program, closing out the three-year substitute-for-proofs window that ran from 1965 through 1967. The 1.86-million figure is the lowest of the three SMS dime years, reflecting the program's wind-down ahead of the 1968 return to traditional San Francisco proof sets with the new "S" mintmark. With proof production still suspended at San Francisco through 1967, these SMS coins were struck on polished planchets from polished regular-production dies and packaged in Mint-issued cellophane sleeves within a cardboard holder. The 1967 SMS dimes carry no mintmark in accordance with the 1965-1967 directive. The 1967 program is widely regarded as producing the highest-quality finish of the three SMS years, with the most consistent cameo contrast and the most refined satin surfaces of the run, the result of accumulated experience with the polishing routine.

The 1967 SMS follows the standard clad specifications: 2.268 grams, 17.91 millimeters, outer layers of 75% copper and 25% nickel bonded to a pure copper core, reeded edge. Authentication centers on distinguishing the SMS finish from both circulation strikes and true proofs. The SMS surface shows a satin-to-matte finish from the polished planchet struck on polished dies, distinct from the deeply mirrored fields of a true proof and from the cartwheel luster of a circulation strike. Rims are squared and slightly tighter than circulation work but lack the crisp knife-edge definition of proof rims. PCGS and NGC use the "SP" (Specimen) designation, often annotated "SMS" on the label. The 1967 SMS shows the strongest cameo retention of the three SMS years, and deep-cameo examples with frosted FDR portraits and torch detail against reflective fields are more attainable than in 1965 or 1966.

Survivor distribution covers SP63 through SP69, with SP67 and SP68 the most heavily traded grades. Deep-cameo SP68 examples trade at sharp premiums over brilliant equivalents because of the strong-contrast supply concentrated in the 1967 release. Hairlines from cellophane handling and small carbon spots from long-term storage are the typical impairments below SP65. For broader context, see the Roosevelt Dime series history.