1948 & 1951 Neutron Irradiated Roosevelt Dimes

These are nifty souvenirs from the Atomic Age. The American Museum of Atomic Energy is located at Oak Ridge National Labs(ORNL was one of the key players in the Manhattan Project) and tourists could purchase these encased dimes. A neutron irradiator was used to alter the isotopic composition of the silver, rendering the coin briefly radioactive and it could be measured on a Geiger counter. Never fear, they are perfectly safe now as the half-life of the altered silver is very short. There is no reason to grade something like this because the value is not in the coin, it is the combination of the coin and holder- grade has no bearing. I think they typically sell on ebay for around $10 so they are definitely worth more than the coin by itself. I personally own a Mercury dime in one of the metal holders and I also have a Roosie in one of the plastic World's Fair discs.
http://www.orau.org/ptp/collection/...es/dimes.htm