2004-S Proof

San Francisco delivered 2,965,422 standard cupronickel-clad proof Roosevelt dimes in 2004 for inclusion in the regular annual proof set, a 10 percent pullback from the 2003-S clad figure but still well above the late-1990s baseline. The 2004 proof set carried the two-design Westward Journey nickel pair, which drew supplemental subscriber attention; the dime's mintage tracked overall proof-set subscriptions. The S mintmark sat sharp above the date, dies were hand-polished to mirror finish, and the clad planchet was struck at higher pressure on a slower press to produce the squared rims and frosted devices that distinguish proof from circulation finish.

Authentication on a 2004-S clad proof rests on the standard finish diagnostics. Mirrored fields under 10x magnification show the deep reflective surface produced by hand-polished dies, the rim profile runs at a sharp ninety-degree transition to the field rather than the rounded business-strike profile, and frosted devices appear on examples that earn Cameo and Deep Cameo designations from PCGS and NGC. Cameo, the third-party grading designation that mirrored fields and frosted relief show clear contrast, and Deep Cameo, the same effect at heavier frost depth, carry the premium pricing at PR69 and PR70. Weight should read 2.268 grams on a calibrated scale; the 2.50-gram silver-proof companion is the principal composition-level distinction.

The 2004-S clad sits in the upper-middle tier of the mid-2000s clad-proof Roosevelt mintage range and trades at routine modern-proof pricing. PR69 DCAM is available at modest price levels, and PR70 DCAM forms the meaningful condition-rarity step where PCGS and NGC populations thin to registry-relevant levels. The 2.97-million-piece mintage carries no fundamental base-grade scarcity. Most surviving examples remain in original 2004 proof-set packaging alongside the Westward Journey nickel pair and the five State Quarters dies; intact original packaging carries collector preference for the nickel-pair companion content. Collector demand for the dime concentrates on the PR70 DCAM tier and on full Cameo-DCAM date sets. For the mid-2000s San Francisco proof program, see the Roosevelt Dime series history.