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Mercury Dimes - Winged Liberty Head |
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1916-1945
Despite its tiny size, the "Mercury" dime may
very well be the most beautiful coin ever produced by the
United States Mint. It is truly remarkable that a coin this
small could have such an intricate and aesthetically pleasing
design.
One thing its design does not depict, however, is Mercury, the
messenger of the gods in Roman mythology. The portrait on its
obverse is actually that of Liberty wearing a winged cap
symbolizing freedom of thought. Thus, the coin more properly
is known as the Winged Head Liberty dime. But the misnomer
"Mercury" was applied to it early on and, after many years of
common usage, has stuck.
Whatever it's called, this dime represented a welcome change
of pace when it made its first appearance in 1916. Indeed, it
served to symbolize more than freedom of thought: it also was
a symbol of America's new spirit, an exuberance reflected in
the freshness and vitality of the new U.S. coinage as a whole
in the early 1900s. The coin it replaced, the stodgy Barber
dime, was rooted in the 19th century, a time when American
life was more rigid and formal. In an artistic sense this new
coin was a breath of fresh air, even though its inspiration
went all the way back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.
Clearly, the Mint and Treasury believed it was time for a
change. Under an 1890 law, they couldn't replace a coin design
more frequently than every 25 years. The Barber dime, quarter
and half dollar, first produced in 1892, reached the
quarter-century mark in 1916, and the Mint wasted no time in
replacing all three. Actually, his misinterpretation of the
1890 law led Mint Director Robert W. Woolley to believe that
he must replace the existing designs when they reached 25
years of production.
The Mint began laying the groundwork in the closing days of
1915, when it set the stage for a special competition to
obtain new designs for the coins. Director Woolley invited
three noted sculptors-Hermon A. MacNeil, Albin Polasek and
Adolph A. Weinman, all of New York City-to prepare designs for
the three silver coins, evidently with the intention of
awarding a different coin to each artist.
Whatever the Mint's intention may have been, Weinman ended up
getting two of the three coins-the dime and half dollar-with
MacNeil getting the quarter dollar and Polasek being shut out.
But few would quibble with the selections, for all three of
the new coins-the Mercury dime, the Standing Liberty quarter
dollar and the Walking Liberty half dollar-inevitably appear
on most collectors' lists of the finest U.S. coins ever made.
The German-born Weinman had come to the United States in 1880
at the age of 10 and had studied under the famed Augustus
Saint-Gaudens. By 1915 he had gained a reputation as one of
the nation's leading young sculptors. Weinman solidified this
standing with his artwork for the dime.
It's generally believed that the Winged Liberty portrait is
based upon a bust that Weinman did in 1913 of Elsie Kachel
Stevens, wife of well-known poet Wallace Stevens. She and her
husband were tenants at the time in a New York City apartment
house owned by the sculptor. The reverse of the coin depicts
the fasces, an ancient symbol of authority, with a battle-ax
atop it to represent preparedness and an olive branch beside
it to signify the desire for peace. With World War I raging in
Europe, these were emotional themes in 1916.
Release of the very first Mercury dimes was delayed until late
in the year, as the dies were not yet ready. Coins of the old
Barber design were hurriedly coined to meet the demand. The
Denver Mint made only 264,000 examples of the new dimes, and
1916-D has been the great key of the series ever since-the
only coin with a mintage below one million. The mintmark
appears on the reverse, below and left of the fasces. Other
scarce coins include 1921, 1921-D and the 1942/1 overdates
from both Philadelphia and Denver. Brilliant proofs were made
from 1936 through 1942, and there exists at least one 1916
matte proof.
Collectors with a penchant for perfection prefer Mercury dimes
with "full split bands", completely visible lines in the bands
around the fasces. For most dates these command significantly
higher premiums than coins without such detail. Lack of full
bands doesn't mean a coin isn't mint-state; often, it simply
denotes a weak strike. The bands do serve as a checkpoint for
wear, however, since they're so high and exposed. Other spots
to check are Liberty's hair and the area in front of her ear.
For most of the series, production at the branch mints in
Denver and San Francisco was less than ten million pieces a
year. Outputs were higher at the main mint in Philadelphia but
exceeded 100 million only five times. Large numbers of Mercury
dimes exist in grades up to Mint State-65, and they're readily
available even in MS-66 and 67, at least for the later dates.
This, combined with their beauty, makes them highly promotable.
Facing 77 date-and-mint combinations, not counting the
overdates, many collectors content themselves with just a
single type coin. Others assemble "short sets" from 1934
through 1945 or 1941 through `45.
The Mercury dime served Americans well during one of this
nation's most turbulent eras. Born on the eve of our nation's
entry into World War I, it remained an integral part of
America's coinage lineup right through the end of World War
II, bowing out in 1945. Along the way, it took center stage
during the Great Depression as the title coin in the
down-and-outers' anthem, "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" The
desire of Mint Director Nellie Tayloe Ross to replace the
Mercury dime with one portraying Benjamin Franklin in 1938 was
delayed until after the war, Franklin eventually finding a
home on the half dollar ten years later.
In 1946, following the death of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, a
new design with a portrait of the former President was issued.
It was fitting that this denomination was chosen to perpetuate
his memory, as during his lifetime he was a significant
influence in the March of Dimes campaign against polio.
Even in its final years, this was a coin with real buying
power. Armed with a Mercury dime, youngsters in the1940s had
their choice of a 52-page comic book, a double-dip ice cream
cone, two Hershey bars or two bottles of Coca-Cola. Remaining
in circulation right until the end of silver coinage, Mercury
dimes were a familiar sight as late as the 1960s.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 17.9 millimeters
Weight: 2.50 grams
Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper
Edge: Reeded
Net Weight: .07234 ounce pure silver
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1919
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1923
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1924
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1925
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1934
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1938
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1939-D
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1940
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1940-D
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1942
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1943
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1943-D
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1942
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1942-D
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1944
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1944-D
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1945-D
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1885 INDIAN HEAD PENNY ONE CENT plus1928 Mercury Dime
1943-D Mercury Dime Rated Very Fine
1943 Silver Mercury Dime Rated Very Good
1945-D Mercury Dime Rated Very Good
1921-D G/AG Mercury Dime - Key Date - No Reserve
1943-S Mercury dime
Winged Liberty Head or "Mercury" Dimes
1925 D Mercury Dime
MERCURY DIMES 1939 (P), 1941 (S), 1941 (P), 1944 (P)
A very nice tube of 50 Mercury silver Dimes.
MERCURY DIMES 1911---1942
50 Silver Mercury and Roosevelt Dimes 1920-1958
Coinwatch wristwatch Mercury Dime 1944-collectable
Mercury Dimes, 52 coins
45 mercury U.S. dimes many different years
RARE 1921 FINE MERCURY DIME
1926 D Mercury Dime
1945 Mercury Dime
MERCURY DIME SET GOOD&BETTER,MISSING 16-D&42/41 WOW
15 U.S. 1945 Mercury Dimes $.10 Coins Gem Brilliant Unc
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