Mercury Dime
Obverse Design: Winged head of the goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap
Designer: Adolph A. Weinman
Design Year: 1915
Reverse Design: Fasces juxtaposed with an olive branch
Designer: Adolph A. Weinman
Design Year: 1915
Production Years: 1916-1945
Mintmarks: None (Philadelphia), D (Denver), S (San Francisco)
Mintmark Location: Reverse, bottom left of fasces
Diameter: 17.9 mm
Thickness: 1.35 mm
Edge: Reeded
Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
Mass: 2.50g
Notes: Though commonly called the “Mercury” dime, the obverse image is actually the goddess Liberty, wearing a Phrygian cap. The cap symbolizes liberty and freedom, and the wings symbolize freedom of thought. The reverse fasces and olive branch symbolize America’s readiness for war but desire for peace in the face of World War I.
The 1916-D is a rare key date, with a production of only 264,000.
Mercury Dime Mintages
Issue Total Mintage
1916-P 22,180,080
1916-D 264,000
1916-S 10,450,000
1917-P 55,230,000
1917-D 9,402,000
1917-S 27,330,000
1918-P 26,680,000
1918-D 22,674,800
1918-S 19,300,000
1919-P 35,740,000
1919-D 9,939,000
1919-S 8,850,000
1920-P 59,030,000
1920-D 19,171,000
1920-S 13,820,000
1921-P 1,230,000
1921-D 1,080,000
1923-P 50,130,000
1923-S 6,440,000
1924-P 24,010,000
1924-D 6,810,000
1924-S 7,120,000
1925-P 25,610,000
1925-D 5,117,000
1925-S 5,850,000
1926-P 32,160,000
1926-D 6,828,000
1926-S 1,520,000
1927-P 28,080,000
1927-D 4,812,000
1927-S 4,770,000
1928-P 19,480,000
1928-D 4,161,000
1928-S 7,400,000
1929-P 25,970,000
1929-D 5,034,000
1929-S 4,730,000
1930-P 6,770,000
1930-S 1,843,000
1931-P 3,150,000
1931-D 1,260,000
1931-S 1,800,000
1934-P 24,080,000
1934-D 6,772,000
1935-P 58,830,000
1935-D 10,477,000
1935-S 15,840,000
1936-P 87,500,000
1936-D 16,132,000
1936-S 9,210,000
1937-P 56,860,000
1937-D 14,146,000
1937-S 9,740,000
1938-P 22,190,000
1938-D 5,537,000
1938-S 8,090,000
1939-P 67,740,000
1939-D 24,394,000
1939-S 10,540,000
1940-P 65,350,000
1940-D 21,198,000
1940-S 21,560,000
1941-P 175,090,000
1941-D 45,634,000
1941-S 43,090,000
1942-P 205,410,000
1942-D 60,740,000
1942-S 49,300,000
1943-P 191,710,000
1943-D 71,949,000
1943-S 60,400,000
1944-P 231,410,000
1944-D 62,224,000
1944-S 49,490,000
1945-P 159,130,000
1945-D 40,245,000
1945-S 41,290,000
