Own March Of Dimes 75th Anniversary
U.S. Mint Silver Dollar
Only 1 Coin Available!
In 2015, the US Mint produced this striking coin to commemorate the past, present and future of the March of Dimes, which celebrated its 75th anniversary that year. The uncirculated 90% silver dollar coin pictures Franklin Roosevelt and Jonas Salk on one ... more
Own March Of Dimes 75th Anniversary
U.S. Mint Silver Dollar
Only 1 Coin Available!
In 2015, the US Mint produced this striking coin to commemorate the past, present and future of the March of Dimes, which celebrated its 75th anniversary that year. The uncirculated 90% silver dollar coin pictures Franklin Roosevelt and Jonas Salk on one side and a baby sleeping in its parent’s hand on the other side. Surcharges from the sale of this coin went to the March of Dimes Foundation to support its research, education, and service programs.
You’ll want this coin, and all the history it represents in your collection.
The March of Dimes
President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis (NFIP) on January 3, 1938. A non-partisan association of scientists and volunteers, the organization worked to develop a polio vaccine and helped those with polio through their physical rehabilitation. The foundation also created a network of local chapters to raise money and distribute aid.
Initially, the NFIP raised funds at the annual President’s Birthday Ball, through donations from wealthy celebrities. Over time, however, the number of children affected outpaced the fundraising. Therefore, President Roosevelt began appealing to the public to help. During one fundraiser, singer Eddie Cantor jokingly told the public to send dimes to the president, which helped inspire the term “March of Dimes.”
The people of America answered his call – flooding the White House with 2,680,000 dimes ($268,000) in donations. The press called the public response, “a silver tide which actually swamped the White House.”
By Christmas, booths were set up in cities around the country where children could donate their dimes. Children were significant donors, claiming they wanted to help other children to get better.
By 1941, the March of Dimes raised enough funds to develop an iron lung, which helped polio patients breathe when they lost muscle control of their lungs. In 1946, the US produced an FDR dime to honor his life and his work for the March of Dimes. In 1949, the March of Dimes tasked Dr. Jonas Salk with developing a polio vaccine, which he achieved in 1955. Salk’s vaccine helped to decrease the number of polio cases per year from tens of thousands to just a handful.
Once polio had been defeated, the March of Dimes shifted their focus to birth defects prevention in 1958. In this new avenue, the March of Dimes began funding genetic research and helping to create birth defects treatment centers in hospitals around the country. They also helped to found the Salk Institute for Biological Studies in California, which studies a variety of diseases.
Less 
