Mercury Dimes (1916-1945)
Mint Mark Information

In 1916, the United States revamped its coinage lineup. New designs for the dime, quarter, and half dollar won praise from even the harshest of critics.

Adolph A. Weinman was the creator of the ten cent coin, called the Winged Head Liberty Dime. Weinman took an unusual approach by placing wings on Lady Liberty’s cap, to symbolize freedom of thought.

Many people associated the winged cap with the Roman messenger god Mercury. The well-liked dime was improperly tagged as the “Mercury Dime”, but this name was eventually accepted by all, including numismatists.

The reverse is dominated by a vertical fasces, a bundle of sticks representing strength and unity. A battle ax and olive branch complement the fasces, suggestive of military readiness and peace, respectively. Both were on the minds of most in 1916, as World War I was being fought across the Atlantic.

For the next several decades, the Mercury Dime maintained a steady presence in the daily lives of Americans as the country passed through some of its toughest challenges ever: World War I, the Great Depression (“Brother, can you spare a dime?”), and World War II.

By the spring of 1945, victory in Europe seemed assured. On April 12, news headlines announcing the death President Franklin Roosevelt sent the nation into a sense of grief. To honor his memory, a new dime bearing his image was issued in 1946, bringing the Mercury Dime series to a close, the last releases in 1945.

Mercury Dime Obverse

Mercury Dime Reverse

Mercury Dime Mint Mark is located on reverse at bottom, left of fasces bundle.

The table below summarizes Mercury Dime Mint Marks:

New coin collectors might have a little trouble finding the Mint Mark on the Mercury Dime. The Mint Mark, if any, is tucked away on the reverse, at bottom, just to the left of the fasces bundle. It is easy to overlook, but boy, what a world of difference it can make in value! (think 1916-D)

The images at right clearly show how to find the Mercury Dime Mint Mark. Thank you, Heritage Auctions, for the use of the beautiful coin photos.

There are lots of people who are avid Mercury Dime collectors. It is one of the most popular of all coin types. There is always a strong demand for key dates, which, over time, translates to higher and higher prices, more so than the average collectible coin.

At the head of the Mercury Dime class is the 1916-D. Properly graded, genuine examples of this classic rarity are among the safest of purchases for coin buyers seeking very good price increases in the long term. The 1921, 1921-D, and 1942 overdate varieties are also tops.

If you'd like to add a key date Merury Dime to your collection, you can use the windows below to find them on eBay. Buyers have to be careful because there are so many fakes around. The best grading services, which includes, PCGS, NGC, ICG, and ANACS, are proficient at spotting phony coins, so you can shop with confidence if a coin you're considering buying has been certified by one of these services.

1916-D

1921

1921-D

1942 2/1

1942-D 2/1