History of the Mercury Dime
The Winged Liberty Head dime, commonly known as the Mercury dime, is a 10-cent coin minted in Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco from 1916 through 1945. It replaced the Barber dime, which was in circulation for only 25 years. The Mercury dime was replaced 1946 by the Franklin D. Roosevelt dime to honor the president for his support of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, otherwise known as the March of Dimes.
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History
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Sculptor Adolph Weinman, a German immigrant, prevailed over two other artists to win the commission to design the Mercury dime, which is considered by collectors to be the most beautiful coin produced by the United States Mint. The obverse side depicts the mythical goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian winged cap that represents freedom and liberty while the reverse features a Roman fasces with an olive branch to symbolize a readiness for war but a desire for peace. The obverse figure is based on the bust of Elsie Stevens, wife of poet Wallace Stevens.
Function
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The coin is 90 percent silver and 10 percent copper and is valued at one-tenth of a U.S. dollar while at the same time promoting liberty through strength.
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Types
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The initial mintage of the 1916-D Mercury dime was only 264,000, making it highly desirable among collectors, while many other Mercury dimes contained flaws that inflate their value, such as the overdate stamp of 1942 over 1941 from the Philadelphia die.
Features
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The word "Liberty" encircles the goddess' head with the phrase "In God We Trust" at the bottom of the coin.
Misconceptions
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"Mercury" is a misnomer, since the coin does not depict Mercury but Liberty wearing a winged cap to represent freedom of thought.
Size
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As the smallest coin issued by the U.S. Mint, the dime measures 17.9 millimeters in diameter and weighs 2.50 grams.
Fun Fact
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The bust of Elsie Stevens used by Weinman to design the coin is lost to history after Stevens' daughter refused it as a gift from her mother.
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Resources
- Photo Credit United States Mint
