Whether a rare date or a common one, values rise with rising condition. [5] Following the redesign of the double eagle, eagle, half eagle and quarter eagle in 1907 and 1908, as well as the penny and nickel redesigns of 1909 and 1913 respectively, advocates of replacing the Barber coins began to push for the change when the coins' minimum term expired in 1916. . [3] Mint Director Edward Leech responded to the failed competition by directing Barber to prepare new designs for the dime, quarter, and half dollar. 2023 P mint UNC Dime quantity. Mint officials were under the misapprehension that the designs had to be changed, and held a competition among three sculptors, in which Barber, who had been in his position for 36years, also took part. Reverse: Features Identifying Extremely Fine Grade: A first indicator of an Extremely Fine grade Mercury dime are full diagonal bands as they cross the vertical lines. Often many examples are viewed before one meeting their preference is found. For decades, this . [10] The low mintage is because in November 1916, von Engelken informed the three mint superintendents of a large order for quarters, and instructed that Denver strike only quarters until it was filled. US Mint. Mercury dime values start at $1.51 Graduated in Labor Relations and Human Resources. The higher the grade, the higher the price grows exponentially, as it is a factor of great importance. Since 1916, succeeding the previous Dime, the Barber (1892-1916), the Mercury Dime began to be minted. [36], The dime was struck in substantial numbers until 1930, with the notable exception of the 1916-D issue and from 1921 to 1923, when an economic downturn caused the need for coins to diminish. While the Mercury Dime was never minted at the West Point Mint, which opened in 1937 as a bullion depository, the classic coin was produced at the Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mints. Free shipping. All coins bearing the "CC" mintmark are considered scarce by collectors today. Mercury dimes, more formally known as Winged Liberty Head dimes, minted from 1916 to 1945, is apopular series of U.S. coins to collect. PLEASE SEE PICTURES FOR MORE DETAILS! Its proper name is the "Winged Liberty Head.". Possible mint. Ed. Total Weight: 2.5 grams. Leaves over the vertical lines remain outlined with no merging, a small but important detail. A favorite with collectors, who refer to the series as Mercury dimes; the coin features a bust of Liberty wearing a winged cap; symbol of freedom of thought. r/coins Treasure find. This also changed the series from Mercury dimes to Roosevelt dimes. While they can be profitable, counterfeits do exist and its important to ensure authenticity before buying or selling. "[17] The press release indicated that the Treasury hoped production of the new coins would begin in about two months, once the designs were finalized. Notable low mintage years are 1921 and 1930. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for 1940 - 1945 Silver Mercury Dime Lot *All S Mint Marks* 6 Coin Lot at the best online prices at eBay! Should you decide to sell use the worksheet as an invoice and packing slip when sending coins through the mail to dealers. As such, these coins are occasionally counterfeit or altered from common coins. Kennedy Half Dollar Values and Prices (1964-2015), Washington Quarter Values and Prices (1932-1964), 50 State Quarters, D.C., and U.S. [25] Vermeule suggests that one reason for the use of wings was that Weinman, in common with many in the tradition of Augustus Saint-Gaudens, under whom Weinman had studied, liked the effect of feathers done in relief. "[8] In reply, McAdoo wrote "[l]et the mint submit designs before we try anyone else." Coins minted at Philadelphia do not have a mint mark, while Denver issues carry the D and San Francisco issues carry the S. [15] Members of the Commission persuaded Woolley that so much should not be entrusted to a single artist, and MacNeil was allowed to design both sides of the quarter, subject to his making modifications to his submission. [32] On November 4, Weinman enquired of Joyce whether any removal was contemplated; he received in reply compliments on his design and Joyce's statement that the Mint was not responsible for what appeared in print. Are the heads on a 98 and 99 v8 5.7L the same? It's actually an intertwined A W -- the monogram of the coin's designer A. Each Mercury dime contains almost 1/10 of an ounce of silver (0.0723 oz. Click here to Learn How to use Coin Price Charts, Click here to see the Melt Value of every US Coin. Woolley hoped that each sculptor would be successful with one piece. The different series of dimes ranging from Barber to Roosevelt are judged with grading descriptions and images. All traces of diagonal and horizontal bands are flattened and missing. Small quantities of the new dime had been sent to vending machine and pay phone manufacturers; on September 6, two companies reported problems with the coins. A mere 264,000 were minted, and without a doubt, even fewer exist today. By following a step by step method the important dates, mintmarks, and condition of your coin is identified. These coins were made out of 90% silver and 10% copper, making them valuable for their intrinsic metal value alone. They reflect closely the value you would expect to receive when selling. From 1916 to 1945, the Mint produced the "Mercury" dime designed by Adolph A. Weinman. On the lower left side of this obverse we find the motto IN GOD WE TRUST which is so common on U.S. coins. The mint mark location is on the reverse of the coin to the left of the fasces. [16], On March 3, the new coins were publicly announced, with the Treasury noting, "[d]esigns of these coins must be changed by law every 25 years and the present 25 year period ends with 1916. Although the new coin's design was admired for its beauty, the Mint made modifications to it upon learning that vending machine manufacturers were having difficulties making the new dime work in their devices. Tops of letters are worn and becoming faint in areas. 1945-S Mercury Dime Value The San Francisco Mint made 41,920,000 Mercury Dimes with the S Mint Mark. They make for a great addition to any collection whether you focus solely on mercury dimes or prefer to have a diverse collection of coins. In 1916 the San Francisco mint finished striking the last of the Barber series and began producing the Mercury dime series. On the reverse is found the "S" mintmark of San Francisco. Always store coins in a protective holder or case and keep them away from moisture. Many collectors never notice the A intertwined toward the bottom center of the W until more closely inspecting the obverse of the coin with a 5X or 10X coin magnifier. As for the Mercury Dime, the story behind the AW leads to no scintillating conspiracy theories as was long associated with the JS initials on the Roosevelt Dime, nor are there any super rarities associated with Weinmans monogram as there are key dates in the Lincoln Cent series connected back to the initials of that coins famed designer, Victor David Brenner. The first time, he found Barber absent, but had a productive talk with long-time Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan. The Mercury Dime was one of the first contemporary coins that collectors actively sought in circulation by date and mintmark. His design featured Lady Liberty wearing a close-fitting Phrygiancapped with wings to symbolize freedom of thought. "What you see in this picture, Mixed Dates & Mixed Mint Marks is what you will receive!". note: This article is periodically updated to reflect the current price of most valuable coins. I realize I am dealing with artistic temperaments at both ends. The lowest mintage of the series occurred for the 1916-D, which has become a classic key date coin of the twentieth century. Identified by the little wings at the side of Mercury's head, these dimes were produced primarily from 1916 to 1945. Mercury Dime values are directly tied to condition. [25] Weinman's monogram, AW, appears on the obverse, midway between the date and the letter Y in "LIBERTY". Just as the AW monogram on Mercury Dimes points to the designer of these iconic coins, there are coins with markings of similar origins, including 1909 VDB Lincoln Cents, the Buffalo Nickels with F mark, and many others. Philadelphia: 175,090,000 coins minted. Grading the condition of the coin is a large deciding factor between bullion and collector quality. The other side (the reverse) features a fasces, an ancient symbol of unity and strength, with an olive branch, symbolizing peace. ONE TIME SHIPPING COST FOR ALL ORDERS PURCHASED AT THE SAME TIME. Mercury was the God of commerce, communication, and travelers. Notable is the very small number of 1916-D dimes - 264,000, the key to the series. Denver Mint Denver struck a total just under 476 million Mercury dimes, second highest of the three mints. This is because it is the first dime of the Mercury series, and specimens in higher grades can be very hard to come by. Woolley recorded that he was told that the model wore the top of an old pair of stockings to simulate the cap. On March 3, 1916, Mint Dir. [20] On July 15, Woolley resigned as Mint director to work as publicity chairman of the Wilson reelection campaign. Print the Coin Values Worksheet to list your Mercury dime values. With today's high price of silver your old coins are becoming surprisingly valuable. An easy way to pick up one coin from Denver. Knowing these will let you make informed decisions when buying or selling mercury dimes, or when youre wondering whether the appraiser is giving you a fair deal. However, we can expand this to years and mints, making a huge collection worth over $30,000. The mercury dime was produced until 1945, when it was replaced by the Roosevelt Dime. The same day, Woolley wrote to MacNeil to tell him he would sculpt the quarter's obverse, and to Polasek to inform him of his lack of success. Important, letters are only merged with rim in disconnected areas and only the tops of letters are involved. A. Weinman. Another aspect of collecting mercury dimes is looking for any minting errors. Step by step; identify both the condition and grade of your coin, locate important mintmarks and popular varieties. Of the three mints, Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco, two placed a mintmark on the coin to indicate the mint of origin. Category: Mercury Dimes Mint: Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco Mintage: 37,662,000 Obverse Designer: Adolph A. Weinman Reverse Designer: Adolph A. Weinman Composition: 90% Silver and 10% Copper Fineness: 0.9 Weight: 2.5g ASW: 0.0723oz 1927 Mercury Dime Value Chart https://nnp.wustl.edu/library/book/514129, Date by DateIn Depth Mercury Dime Values1916 to 1945. [25][26] According to Breen, "Weinman's symbolic message in this design was clearly an updated 'Don't tread on me'".