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Mercury dimes: Winged Liberty, 90% silver, and the 1916-D
Mercury dimes (1916–1945) are 90% silver Winged Liberty Heads, not the Roman god. Common worn dates are junk silver. 1916-D, 1921, 1921-D, and the 1942/1 overdates are the ones we pull. Full bands is a grade talk, not a date.
A Mercury dime is a Winged Liberty Head dime, 1916–1945. Adolph A. Weinman designed it. The wing on the cap is liberty of thought, not the Roman god Mercury. Collectors still say Mercury. The reverse is a fasces (a bundle of rods) and an olive branch.
It is 90% silver, about 0.0723 troy ounces. A worn common date is junk silver, same math as a 1964 Roosevelt. 90% vs 40%.
Mint mark and full bands
The mint mark is on the reverse, to the left of the fasces, near the bottom. No letter is Philadelphia. Where is the mint mark?
Full bands (FB) means the two horizontal bands on the fasces are fully split. That is a grade conversation on a high-end coin. A worn 1944 is still a 1944. Do not pay a full-bands premium on a coin you cannot see the bands on.
Common vs the ones we pull
Common 1940s Mercuries: melt, plus a little if they are problem-free. We stop for 1916-D (the key), 1921 and 1921-D, and the 1942/1 and 1942/1-D overdates. 1916-S is better than a 1943, not a 1916-D.
Fakes of 1916-D are a real problem. Added mint marks exist. We look at the D, the style, and the rest of the coin. How shops check authenticity.
Extra history
Weinman also did the Walking Liberty half. Same year, same “American renaissance” brief. The fasces was a Roman symbol of authority long before the 1930s ruined the word in Europe. On a 1916 US dime it is law-and-order art, not a political badge.
What a shop pays
A handful of 1940s Mercuries: junk silver. A 1916-D that survives a close look: a collector number. Cleaned or holed: closer to melt. Don’t clean. Details grades.
If the same envelope has Walkers and Mercuries, we weigh the pile first, then pick dates.
People also ask
Is a Mercury dime rare because it is old? No. They made hundreds of millions. Age is not the bid. Old is not rare.
Did they make them in 1946? No. Roosevelt dimes start in 1946. A 1946 “Mercury” is a misread Roosevelt or a novelty.
Is 1945-S Micro S a fortune? It is a collected variety. It is not a 1916-D.
Continue in the coin and money library. Related visitor guides: for shop visitors.
Date list: Mercury key dates.