Mercury Dimes: A Beginner's Guide to Dates and Values

There are certain coins that just look like they belong in a collection.

The Mercury dime is one of them.

If you've ever gone through an old jar of coins or a collection handed down through the family, you may have come across one. It's smaller than today's coins, it's made of silver, and that winged head on the front makes it pretty easy to recognize once you know what you're looking at.

Mercury dimes were made from 1916 through 1945, and they're one of my favorite coins for someone who is just getting into collecting.

You can still buy plenty of them without spending a lot of money. There are some tougher dates to hunt for, a few valuable varieties, and enough history behind them to make the search interesting.

So let's take a look at what you need to know.

First, That's Not Actually Mercury

This surprises a lot of new collectors.

The person on the front of a Mercury dime isn't Mercury at all.

It's Liberty wearing a winged cap.

The coin was designed by Adolph A. Weinman and its official name is the Winged Liberty Head dime. People thought the portrait looked like Mercury, the Roman messenger god, and the Mercury dime nickname stuck.

Today, that's what almost everybody calls it.

Turn the coin over and you'll see a bundle of rods with an axe, called a fasces, along with an olive branch. The design was meant to represent strength and unity along with peace.

It's a lot of detail packed into a very small coin.

Check the Mint Mark

One of the first things I do when looking at an old coin is check the date and mint mark.

Mercury dimes were made at three mints:

Philadelphia — no mint mark
Denver — D
San Francisco — S

On Mercury dimes, you'll find the mint mark on the reverse near the bottom, to the left of the fasces.

Don't skip this step.

Two dimes with the same date can have very different values simply because they were made at different mints.

That's something you'll see over and over again in coin collecting.

Yes, Mercury Dimes Are Silver

Every regular-issue Mercury dime was made from 90% silver and 10% copper.

That means even a common, well-worn Mercury dime has some silver value.

But don't make the mistake of assuming they're all just worth their silver content.

Some dates are much harder to find. Condition matters. Mint marks matter. Certain varieties matter.

That's why it's worth taking a few minutes to see exactly what you have before tossing a group of Mercury dimes into a pile of scrap silver.

The Big One: 1916-D

If you're going to remember one date in the Mercury dime series, remember this:

1916-D.

Only 264,000 were made at the Denver Mint.

That's a very small number, and it makes the 1916-D the key date most collectors hope to find.

Even a well-worn genuine example can be worth good money.

There's a catch, though.

Because they're valuable, there are fakes and altered coins out there. One trick is adding a D mint mark to a regular 1916 Philadelphia dime.

So if you think you've found a 1916-D, don't immediately start celebrating.

Take a close look and, if the coin appears genuine, consider having it authenticated before selling it or spending serious money buying one.

Don't Forget 1921

The 1921 and 1921-D Mercury dimes are also worth knowing.

Both had relatively low mintages compared with many of the more common dates in the series.

If you're going through an old collection and see a Mercury dime dated 1921, set it aside.

That's exactly why I recommend sorting old coins before trying to figure out values.

Get them organized first.

You never know what's hiding in the pile.

The 1942/1 Overdate

Here's another one that's fun to look for.

Some 1942 Mercury dimes were struck with a die that shows traces of a 1 underneath the 2 in the date.

These are known as the 1942/1 overdate.

There's also a Denver version.

These can be valuable, but be careful here. A beat-up date or damage to a coin can sometimes make things look unusual.

If you think you've found one, compare it closely with pictures of authenticated examples.

Don't assume every strange-looking 1942 is an overdate.

What Are Full Bands?

If you start shopping for nicer Mercury dimes, sooner or later you're going to see the words Full Bands or the letters FB.

Here's what that means.

Look at the bundle of rods on the back of the dime. Across the center are horizontal bands.

On a really well-struck coin, those bands show clear separation.

Collectors like that.

On certain high-grade Mercury dimes, Full Bands can make a substantial difference in value.

If you're just starting out with circulated Mercury dimes, I wouldn't get too wrapped up in Full Bands yet.

Learn the dates, mint marks and basic condition first.

The rest will come.

So, What Is a Mercury Dime Worth?

This is usually the first question people ask.

And unfortunately, there's no single answer.

A common circulated Mercury dime may be worth only a modest amount over its silver value.

A better date could be worth considerably more.

A 1916-D is in an entirely different category.

And a beautiful high-grade coin can be worth much more than the same date that's been heavily circulated.

When you're trying to figure out value, look at:

The date
The mint mark
The condition
Any recognized varieties
Current silver value

You need all of those pieces before you really know what you're looking at.

Be Careful With Online Prices

Here's something I wish every new collector understood right away.

Just because somebody lists a coin online for $2,000 doesn't mean it's worth $2,000.

I can list a common Mercury dime tomorrow for $10,000.

That doesn't make it a $10,000 coin.

Look at what similar coins have actually sold for.

Make sure you're comparing the same year, mint mark and roughly the same condition.

This one simple habit can save you from making a lot of bad buying decisions.

Please Don't Clean Them

You find an old silver dime that's dark or dirty.

The temptation is to make it shine again.

Don't.

Cleaning an old coin can leave scratches and remove the original surface that collectors want to see.

That shiny dime might look better to you after it's polished, but it could actually be worth less.

If you're not sure what you have, leave it alone.

You can always decide what to do later.

You can't undo a cleaning.

How I Would Start a Mercury Dime Collection

If you're new to Mercury dimes, I wouldn't start by chasing the expensive coins.

Buy a few common dates from the 1930s and 1940s.

They're affordable, and they'll teach you a lot.

Look at the differences in wear. Find the mint marks. Compare coins from Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco.

Once you've handled a few of them, you'll start recognizing the series pretty quickly.

From there, you can decide how you want to collect.

Maybe you want one from every year.

Maybe you want every date and mint mark.

Maybe you just want a nice example from each mint.

Or maybe you simply buy Mercury dimes you like when you find them.

There's no rule saying you have to fill every hole in an album.

That's your collection.

Build it the way you enjoy it.

Found a Bunch of Mercury Dimes? Do This First

If you've inherited a collection or found a group of Mercury dimes, don't rush to sell them.

And don't clean them.

Sit down and sort them by date.

Then check the mint marks.

Pay extra attention to:

1916-D
1921
1921-D
1942/1
1942/1-D

After that, take another look at the condition of each coin.

Most of what you find will probably be common dates.

That's normal.

But spending a little time sorting them first makes sure you don't accidentally sell something better as an ordinary silver dime.

Why I Like Mercury Dimes for Beginners

Mercury dimes are just a fun coin to collect.

They're old enough to have some history behind them. They're made of silver. The design is beautiful. Common dates are affordable, but there are still those tougher coins out there that give you something to hunt for.

And you can learn a lot about coin collecting without spending a fortune.

Start with a few common ones.

Learn what you're looking at.

Then go from there.

That's really all it takes.

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Category: Learning Coin Collecting
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