1921-D Mercury dime – Like its Philadelphia-minted cousin, the 1921-D Mercury dime is an early 1920s coin issue that has a low mintage and, thus, is in high demand among those who need this coin to fill their albums and sets. Look to spend at least $60 to buy a decent, Good-4 specimen.
- 1854 Liberty Seated Dime, VF $ 27.00 Add to cart; 1857 Liberty Seated Dime, VF $ 29.00 Add to cart; 1857-O Liberty Seated Dime, Fine $ 34.00 Add to cart; 1857-O Liberty Seated Dime, VG $ 25.00 Add to cart; 1859-O Liberty Seated Dime, AU-55 $ 250.00 Add to cart; 1862 Liberty Seated Dime Love Token, “Elnora”, Fine $ 24.95 Add to cart; 1873.
- Mercury Dimes Design Mercury Dimes are a United States ten-cent piece minted between 1916 and 1945. They bear an exceptionally beautiful depiction of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, designed by Adolph Weinman. The figure on the Mercury Dime was first thought to be the Roman god Mercury, hence the coin’s common name.
- 1883 Liberty Seated Dime Love Token, VF $ 15.95 Add to cart; 1883 Liberty Seated Dime, AU $ 69.00 Add to cart; 1884 Liberty Seated Dime, MS64, PCGS $ 375.00 Add to.
- Liberty Seated Dimes (1837-1891) The Liberty Seated Dime was produced by the U.S. Mint for over half a century. These dimes were produced at several of the mint’s branches, including Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans and Carson City. The coin’s obverse features the image of Liberty seated on a rock.
- Year of Issue: 1796 to Present
- Authorizing Legislation: Coinage Act of 1792
Background
The “Roosevelt” theme is the current design of the U.S. 10-cent coin. The U.S. Mint first issued this design in 1946, soon after the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The Mint released it on January 30 of that year to honor his birthday. The obverse (heads) shows Roosevelt’s profile. The torch, olive branch, and oak branch on the reverse (tails) represent liberty, peace, and strength.
The dime was a logical choice for honoring Roosevelt because he supported the March of Dimes, a program that raised funds for research to find a cure for polio. He contracted polio when he was 39 years old.
The Mint made the first dimes in 1796. They were small silver coins. The designs from 1796 to 1837 showed Liberty on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. In 1837, a wreath design replaced the eagle. Liberty, in various forms, stayed on the dime until 1946.
From 1916 to 1945, the Mint produced the “Mercury” dime designed by Adolph A. Weinman. The obverse showed a profile of Liberty wearing a cap with wings to represent freedom of thought. The design got its name because it reminded people of the Roman god, Mercury. A fasces – a bundle of rods tied around an axe – and an olive branch appeared on the reverse. The two symbols represented America’s military readiness and the desire for peace. The Mercury dime is considered one of the most beautiful coins in our country’s history.
In 1965, the Mint removed silver from the dime and the composition became copper-nickel clad.
Other Circulating Coins:
Penny | Nickel | Quarter | Half Dollar
Read MoreRead LessCharacteristics
Obverse (heads): Shows the left-facing bust of Franklin D. Roosevelt featured since 1946.Reverse (tails): Displays a torch with an olive branch on the left and an oak branch on the right. The torch signifies liberty, the olive branch peace, and the oak branch represents strength and independence.
Obverse Inscriptions
- LIBERTY
- IN GOD WE TRUST
- Year
Reverse Inscriptions
- UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
- E PLURIBUS UNUM
- ONE DIME
Liberty Dime 1949
Mint and Mint Mark
Specifications
| Composition | Weight | Diameter | Thickness | Edge | No. of Reeds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Cupro-Nickel Balance Cu | 2.268 g | 17.91 mm | 1.35 mm | Reeded | 118 |
Artist Information
- Sculptor: John Sinnock
In 1783, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and David Rittenhouse proposed a decimal-based coinage system for the United States. In a 1791 report to the United States Congress, Hamilton, the country’s first Secretary of the Treasury, suggested issuing six coins including a silver coin, “one-tenth part of a silver unit or dollar,” which today we call the dime. The first dime, the Draped Bust, appeared in 1796 with no sign of its face value. A series of modifications in the design led to the release of the Capped Bust dime in 1809 with a “10 C” denomination on the lower reverse side. The government continued to mint the Capped Bust periodically until 1820, when the coin went into annual production (omitting one year—1826).
In 1837, the Liberty Seated dime replaced the Capped Bust. Similar to the Capped Bust, this series underwent a series of redesigns during its history. Arrows by the date in 1853 and 1873 indicated modifications made in the coin’s mass (from 2.67 grams to 2.49 grams in 1853 and then to 2.5 grams in 1873). The use of arrows led to the rare 1873 and 1874 Carson City dimes with arrows and the one-of-a-kind 1873 Carson City Dime minted without arrows. The Liberty Seated series ended in 1891.
Junk Mercury Dimes For Sale
The Barber dime, named after its creator Charles Barber, appeared from 1892 to 1916. This dime includes one of the most classic American rarities, the 1894-S Dime. Only twenty-four of these dimes were ever minted. Currently only nine are accounted for within collections.
The Winged Liberty dime, also known as the Mercury dime, replaced the Barber dime in 1916. This design depicts Liberty donning a cap with small wings at the ears, evoking the god Mercury. This imagery is meant to represent freedom of thought. The Winged Liberty dime lasted until 1945.
In 1946, the U.S. memorialized the recently deceased President Franklin Delano Roosevelt with a dime design in his honor. This version of the dime lives on to this day.
Liberty Dime 1948
The passage of the Coinage Act of 1965 changed the composition of the dime from 90 percent silver to a 90 percent copper and nickel alloy known as clad, which covers the coin’s pure copper center.