History of the Mercury Dime
Adolph Weinman’s Winged Liberty Head dime is universally known as the Mercury dime, though the portrait is Liberty in a winged cap symbolizing freedom of thought — not the Roman god. Struck in 90% silver from 1916 through 1945, it is widely considered one of the most beautiful US coins ever made.
Every Mercury dime contains 0.0723 troy ounces of silver, giving even the most worn example a melt-value floor. Collector premiums start with the key 1916-D and the overdates, and extend to high-grade coins with Full Bands — completely separated horizontal bands on the reverse fasces, proof of a full strike.
The Mercury dime was struck from 1916 to 1945 in 90% silver, 10% copper. The design is the work of Adolph A. Weinman. Each coin weighs 2.50 grams and measures 17.9 mm across. Production took place at Philadelphia, Denver (D) and San Francisco (S).
How much is a Mercury dime worth?
Like every collectible coin, the value of a Mercury dime comes down to grade, rarity and demand. The ranges below are approximate retail prices collectors pay for problem-free examples — coins that have been cleaned, scratched or holed usually trade well below these figures.
For a live market check, recent sold listings beat out-of-date price guides every time. CoinVault Pro combines Numista catalog data with real eBay sold prices for every coin it recognizes, so you can see what buyers are actually paying this month — not what a book claimed years ago.
- Common dates, circulated: $2–$4 (silver value)
- Common dates, XF: $4–$7
- MS-63: $12–$25
- MS-65 Full Bands: $40–$100+
- Key dates (1916-D, 1921, 1942/1): $60–$1,000+
Key dates, mint marks and varieties
Not every Mercury dime is equal. A small mint mark or a die variety can multiply the value many times over, so check your coin against this list before assuming it is a common example:
- 1916-D — 264,000 struck, the series key.
- 1942/1 and 1942/1-D overdates — wartime rarities.
- 1921 and 1921-D — low-mintage semi-keys.
- 1945 Philadelphia with Full Bands — common date, famous condition rarity.
How to identify a genuine Mercury Dime
Authentication starts with the basics: weight, diameter, design details and the way the surfaces look. For the Mercury dime, check the following:
If anything feels off — the weight is wrong, the details are mushy, or the surfaces look cast rather than struck — get a second opinion before buying or selling. Valuable dates are exactly the coins counterfeiters target most.
- The mint mark sits on the reverse, left of the fasces base.
- Full Bands designation requires complete separation of the central crossbands — it can multiply high-grade values.
- The 1916-D is heavily faked by adding a D to Philadelphia coins; the genuine mint mark position and shape are well documented.
Check your Mercury dime with CoinVault Pro
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From there you can add the coin to your collection, track its value over time, put upgrades on your wishlist, or list it on the in-app marketplace with escrow protection. The app is free to download on iOS and Android.