The History of the Mercury Dime
In 1916 the Treasury Department conducted a design competition to replace the stoic design of the Barber dime that had been minted since 1892. On March 3, 1916, Mint Dir. Robert W. Woolley announced that he selected Adolph A. Weinman’s design as the winner. His design featured Lady Liberty wearing a close-fitting Phrygian capped with wings to symbolize freedom of thought. Most people miss took this as the Roman god Mercury and began calling at the Mercury dime. Its proper name is the “Winged Liberty Head.” The coin’s reverse features Roman fasces as a symbol of power and strength with an olive branch to symbolize peace. The Mint produced the first coins in late 1916, with the United States entering World War I in the following year.
The Market for Mercury Dimes
Mercury dimes are a popular series to collect amongst coin collectors. Demand is relatively stable for coins in uncirculated condition. Most of their value is based on the coin’s silver melt value for lower-grade circulated coins. Each Mercury dime contains almost 1/10 of an ounce of silver (0.0723 oz. exactly). As of this writing, silver is currently selling for nearly $16 per troy ounce. Therefore, each dime contains approximately $1.20 worth of silver. If you want top dollar for your coins, you need to sort them and organize them so the dealer can quickly see what you have.
Key Dates, Rarities, and Varieties
In any condition, the following Mercury dimes are worth considerably more than common ones. As such, these coins are occasionally counterfeit or altered from common coins. Hence, have your coin authenticated by a reputable coin dealer or third-party grading service.
1916-D 1921 1921-D 1941 41/42 (doubled die on the date) 1941-D 41/42 (doubled die on the date)
Condition or Grade Examples
If your coin is worn and looks similar to the one illustrated in the link below, it is considered a circulated coin. If your coin looks similar to the one illustrated in the link below and has no evidence of wear due to being in circulation, it is considered an uncirculated coin. Learning how to grade your Mercury dimes accurately will give you a better idea of your coin’s precise value. Remember, a coin’s condition cannot be improved by cleaning it. Coin dealers and numismatists can tell right away if a coin has been cleaned. They will then classify your coin as damaged, significantly reducing its value.
Mint Marks
As illustrated in the photo in the link below, the mint mark is located on the reverse of the coin, near the bottom at the stem of the oak branch. They were produced at three different mints: Philadelphia (no mint mark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S).
Average Mercury Dime Values & Prices
The following table lists the buy price (what you can expect to pay to a dealer to purchase the coin) and sell value (what you can expect a dealer to pay you if you sell the coin). The first column lists the date and mintmark (see the photo above), followed by the buy price and the sell value for an average circulated Mercury dime. The following two columns list the buy price and the sell value for an average uncirculated. These are approximate retail prices and wholesale values. Of course, the actual offer you receive from a particular coin dealer will vary depending on the actual grade of the coin and several other factors that determine its worth.
