Values
A Mercury dime’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, the grade, and whether the coin is an overdate. Full Bands is a later conversation. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass. 1916-P and 1916-S stay mintage-only on the parent line because the pamphlet does not split Barber from Mercury. Values sit on the NGC Mercury splits.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
These are the dates collectors ask about first. This is a name list, not a price list and not a mintage table. PCGS CoinFacts names them. Do not call every 1942 a key. The overdate is the key.
- 1916-D
- 1921
- 1921-D
- 1942/41
- 1942/41-D
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts. This is a name list, not a price list.
Key dates are bolded on the mintage chart.
1916-D is the key. 1921 and 1921-D are the semi-keys. 1942/41 and 1942/41-D are the overdates. A worn common date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. They are not extra pamphlet rows. The 1974 Mint table does not split them out, and this page will not invent a count.
1942/41 overdate. Philadelphia put a 1942 date over a 1941. PCGS CoinFacts and NGC both name it. CoinFacts lists it as 1942/1 10C. It already has a G / VF / MS-63 row in the chart below. It is the key. A regular 1942 is not.
1942/41-D overdate. Denver did the same thing. CoinFacts lists it as 1942/1-D 10C. The G / VF / MS-63 cells sit on that variety row under 1942-D. The 1942-D mintage cell is the whole Denver year. The pamphlet does not split the overdate, so that variety mintage stays an em dash.
1945-S Micro S. PCGS CoinFacts names it 1945-S 10C Micro S. The mint mark is smaller than the usual 1945-S. The G / VF / MS-63 cells sit on that variety row under 1945-S. The pamphlet does not split it, so that mintage cell is an em dash.
1916-D is the key date. It is not an error.
Full Bands is a designation on the fasces. It is not an error and not a G / VF / MS-63 cell.
Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde and the PCGS CoinFacts Mercury page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
Mercury dimes do not split into design types. These are the overdates and the mint-mark style guides name. Full Bands is a strike designation on the fasces, not a variety.
- 1942/41Philadelphia put a 1942 date over a 1941. PCGS CoinFacts and NGC both name it. A regular 1942 is not the overdate.
- 1942/41-DDenver did the same thing. Guides list it under the Denver year. The pamphlet does not split the overdate.
- 1945-S Micro SThe mint mark is smaller than the usual 1945-S. PCGS CoinFacts names the Micro S. It is a mint-mark style, not a second design.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Mercury dimes were struck at Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco during the 1916–1945 run. Not every mint struck every year. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. The counts below are the pamphlet dime cells in this repository.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1916 | P | 40,670,000 Pamphlet dime total includes Barber + Mercury (not split). | — | — | — | — |
| 1916 | P Mercury | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 14904 | $7.50 | $15 | $80 |
| 1916 | D | 264,000 | 14906 | $1,700 | $5,500 | $18,000 |
| 1916 | S | 16,270,000 Pamphlet dime total includes Barber + Mercury (not split). | — | — | — | — |
| 1916 | S Mercury | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 14908 | $15 | $37.50 | $110 |
| 1917 | P | 55,230,000 | 14910 | $7.50 | $15 | $100 |
| 1917 | D | 9,402,000 | 14912 | $12.50 | $55 | $325 |
| 1917 | S | 27,330,000 | 14914 | $3.75 | $10 | $180 |
| 1918 | P | 26,680,000 | 14916 | $4.25 | $22 | $150 |
| 1918 | D | 22,674,800 | 14918 | $4.25 | $22 | $275 |
| 1918 | S | 19,300,000 | 14920 | $4.50 | $18 | $275 |
| 1919 | P | 35,740,000 | 14922 | $4.25 | $9 | $140 |
| 1919 | D | 9,939,000 | 14924 | $5.50 | $40 | $580 |
| 1919 | S | 8,850,000 | 14926 | $6 | $32 | $645 |
| 1920 | P | 59,030,000 | 14928 | $3.75 | $7 | $80 |
| 1920 | D | 19,171,000 | 14930 | $4.75 | $9 | $400 |
| 1920 | S | 13,820,000 | 14932 | $4.50 | $15 | $470 |
| 1921 | P | 1,230,000 Semi-key | 14934 | $60 | $380 | $2,100 |
| 1921 | D | 1,080,000 Semi-key | 14936 | $90 | $475 | $2,475 |
| 1923 | P | 50,130,000 | 14938 | $4.25 | $7 | $50 |
| 1923 | S | 6,440,000 | 14940 | $3.75 | $24 | $410 |
| 1924 | P | 24,010,000 | 14942 | $3.50 | $6 | $105 |
| 1924 | D | 6,810,000 | 14944 | $5.50 | $22 | $410 |
| 1924 | S | 7,120,000 | 14946 | $6 | $15 | $550 |
| 1925 | P | 25,610,000 | 14948 | $4 | $7 | $90 |
| 1925 | D | 5,117,000 | 14950 | $8 | $80 | $870 |
| 1925 | S | 5,850,000 | 14952 | $4.75 | $20 | $650 |
| 1926 | P | 32,160,000 | 14954 | $3.75 | $7 | $70 |
| 1926 | D | 6,828,000 | 14956 | $4.50 | $22 | $315 |
| 1926 | S | 1,520,000 | 14958 | $13 | $125 | $2,350 |
| 1927 | P | 28,080,000 | 14960 | $3.50 | $7 | $60 |
| 1927 | D | 4,812,000 | 14962 | $5 | $28 | $550 |
| 1927 | S | 4,770,000 | 14964 | $5 | $22 | $800 |
| 1928 | P | 19,480,000 | 14966 | $3.50 | $4.50 | $55 |
| 1928 | D | 4,161,000 | 14968 | $4.75 | $22 | $410 |
| 1928 | S | 7,400,000 | 14970 | $3.25 | $12 | $360 |
| 1929 | P | 25,970,000 | 14972 | $3.50 | $4.50 | $42 |
| 1929 | D | 5,034,000 | 14974 | $3.50 | $9 | $47 |
| 1929 | S | 4,730,000 | 14976 | $3.50 | $4.50 | $65 |
| 1930 | P | 6,770,000 | 14978 | $3.50 | $4.50 | $55 |
| 1930 | S | 1,843,000 | 14980 | $3.50 | $14 | $165 |
| 1931 | P | 3,150,000 | 14982 | $3 | $6 | $80 |
| 1931 | D | 1,260,000 | 14984 | $10 | $38 | $150 |
| 1931 | S | 1,800,000 | 14986 | $5.25 | $15 | $150 |
| 1934 | P | 24,080,000 | 14988 | $3.25 | $5 | $33 |
| 1934 | D | 6,772,000 | 14990 | $3.50 | $4.25 | $60 |
| 1935 | P | 58,830,000 | 14992 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1935 | D | 10,477,000 | 14994 | $3 | $4.50 | $45 |
| 1935 | S | 15,840,000 | 14996 | $3.50 | $4 | $35 |
| 1936 | P | 87,504,130 | 14998 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1936 | D | 16,132,000 | 15000 | $3.25 | $4 | $33 |
| 1936 | S | 9,210,000 | 15002 | $6 | $6.25 | $30 |
| 1937 | P | 56,865,756 | 15004 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1937 | D | 14,146,000 | 15006 | $6 | $6.25 | $30 |
| 1937 | S | 9,740,000 | 15008 | $6 | $6.25 | $28 |
| 1938 | P | 22,198,728 | 15010 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1938 | D | 5,537,000 | 15012 | $6 | $6.25 | $23 |
| 1938 | S | 8,090,000 | 15014 | $6 | $6.25 | $28 |
| 1939 | P | 67,749,321 | 15016 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1939 | D | 24,394,000 | 15018 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1939 | S | 10,540,000 | 15020 | $6 | $6.25 | $35 |
| 1940 | P | 65,361,827 | 15022 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1940 | D | 21,198,000 | 15024 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1940 | S | 21,560,000 | 15026 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1941 | P | 175,106,557 | 15028 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1941 | D | 45,634,000 | 15030 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1941 | S | 43,090,000 | 15032 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1942 | P | 205,432,329 | 15034 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1942 | P 1942/41 | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 816773 | $430 | $525 | $5,500 |
| 1942 | D | 60,740,000 | 15038 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1942 | D 1942/41-D | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 816776 | $325 | $525 | $4,500 |
| 1942 | S | 49,300,000 | 15042 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1943 | P | 191,710,000 | 15044 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1943 | D | 71,949,000 | 15046 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1943 | S | 60,400,000 | 15048 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1944 | P | 231,410,000 | 15050 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1944 | D | 62,224,000 | 15052 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1944 | S | 49,490,000 | 15054 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1945 | P | 159,130,000 | 15056 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1945 | D | 40,245,000 | 15058 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1945 | S | 41,920,000 | 15060 | $6 | $6.25 | $25 |
| 1945 | S Micro S | — Pamphlet does not split this variety from the mintage above. | 15062 | $5.50 | $12.50 | $50 |
Mintage: United States, Bureau of the Mint, Domestic and Foreign Coins Manufactured by Mints of the United States, 1792-1965 (Washington, D.C.: GPO, 1974). Publisher: FRASER / GPO pamphlet.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-21. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: PCGS CoinFacts (2026-08-21). Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID. 1916-P and 1916-S parent rows stay a dash. Values sit on the NGC Mercury splits. 1942/41, 1942/41-D, and 1945-S Micro S have IDs.
These pamphlet cells are dime manufacture. 1916-P and 1916-S include Barber + Mercury, not split.
No 1922, 1923-D, 1921-S, 1930-D, 1932, 1933, or 1934-S Mercury rows.
Full Bands is a designation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell on this chart.
These are Bureau of the Mint manufacture figures from the 1974 GPO pamphlet in this repository, not a Red Book net or melt. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. The pamphlet dime cells are manufacture, not Mercury only. 1916-P and 1916-S are Barber plus Mercury, not split. 1916-D is the Mercury key on this chart.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at the fasces before you argue Full Bands.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Mercury dime is the historic .900 silver dime, not the current clad Roosevelt. Full Bands is a strike designation. That is not a spec change.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 17.91 mm |
| Thickness | 1.35 mm |
| Weight | 2.50 g (38.58 grains) |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.07234 troy oz. Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman |
Diameter and thickness are the U.S. Mint circulating-dime figures (17.91 mm / 1.35 mm). Weight 2.50 g / 38.58 grains and .900 fine are the historic silver-dime standard for this series, not the current clad dime. Fine silver is the same 0.07234 troy oz the melt calculator uses for a pre-1965 dime.
Grading
A Mercury dime wears first on the wing, the fasces, and the date. Full Bands is a strike call on the central bands of the fasces — a designation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell.
Look at the wing feathers, the rods and bands on the fasces, and whether the date is still sharp. 1942/41 is an overdate, not a grade. Do not copy a Full Bands price onto the business-strike column.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Wing | The feathers in Liberty’s winged cap, especially the high points. | The wing goes slick first. If those feathers are a blank, the portrait has been in a pocket. |
| Fasces | The rods in the bundle and the bands that tie them. | The fasces flatten while the olive branch can still look busy. Full Bands is a later strike conversation, not this grade. |
| Central bands | Whether the two central bands on the fasces are fully split. | Full Bands is a designation. It is not a G, VF, or MS-63 number on this page. |
| Date | The numerals under the portrait, and the mint mark when there is one. | A worn date is a worn dime. Do not clean it to “see the date better.” |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. Compare the coin in hand to PCGS Photograde. PCGS CoinFacts is the catalog page for this series. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A silver disk you can still call a Mercury if you already know the type.
- The wing is gone. The fasces are a lump.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Full Bands is not a conversation at this wear.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points are already slick.
- Wing feathers are gone. The fasces are outlined at best.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1916-D is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- The wing is a mass. The fasces have no real rods left.
- A readable date does not make the bands split.
- The mint mark, if there is one, should still be findable.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns in the wing and the bundle.
- Some feathers come back in the wing. The high points are still tired.
- The fasces start to show leftover rods. Bands are not split.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the portrait and the fasces. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Wing feathers are outlined. The cheek of the cap is not crisp.
- The fasces show leftover rods. The bands are still worn together.
- The date is clear. 1921 and 1921-D are still this grade if they are this worn.
VF
Very Fine
The fasces are doing real work. Wing and bands still decide.
- Leftover feathers in the wing. The high points are not slick.
- More of the rods show. Full Bands is still not this grade.
- A regular 1942 is still this grade if it is this worn. The overdate is a variety.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the dime looks sharp. The wing, the fasces, and the date tell on it.
- Light wear on the wing feathers and the high points of the fasces.
- The date is sharp. The mint mark should be too.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the wing and the fasces.
- A trace of rub on the wing and on the high points of the bundle.
- The date should be full. Luster may still sit in the protected spots.
- A bright dime with a slick wing is still a slick wing.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the dime looks.
- No rub on the wing, the fasces, or the date.
- Full Bands is a strike call. It is not an extra MS-63 number.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on the wing, the fasces, and the date.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- Full Bands remains a designation, not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean wing, fasces, and fields for a Mercury. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on the wing or the fasces.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about Full Bands copied onto MS-63.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Mercury dimes exist for part of the run. They were made as proofs. This page does not invent a PR price grid — NGC did not print one in the 2026-08-21 sheet used here. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Lincoln Wheat cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Mercury dime is a United States ten-cent coin with a winged Liberty on the front and a fasces on the back. Collectors mean the coins struck from 1916 through 1945. People also call it the Winged Liberty Head dime. Both names point at the same Weinman design.
People like them because the type still reads across a table, the date-and-mint combinations give you something to chase, and the worn ones show up in jars. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped coin looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1916 with Adolph A. Weinman’s design. It replaces the Barber dime. 1916-P and 1916-S pamphlet dime totals still mix Barber with Mercury. This page will not pretend to split those counts. Values sit on the NGC Mercury lines. 1916-D is the Mercury key.
From there the run is ordinary American pocket change with gaps. There is no 1922, 1923-D, 1921-S, 1930-D, 1932, 1933, or 1934-S Mercury in the pamphlet table this page uses. In 1946 the Mint introduces the Roosevelt dime. This page stops at 1945.
This page will not invent a shop list or a melt story to fill the years between.
Design
Obverse: Liberty facing left in a winged cap, “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and the date. Reverse: a fasces bound with an olive branch, “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “E PLURIBUS UNUM,” and “ONE DIME.” The mint mark sits on the reverse, left of the fasces, when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
The wings are liberty of thought, not the Roman messenger. Collectors still say Mercury. Look at the wing, the rods in the fasces, and the date. Those spots go flat first.
Full Bands means the two central bands on the fasces are fully split. That is a strike call. It is not a G / VF / MS-63 number.
Proof Mercuries exist for part of the run. They were made as proofs, not as circulation strikes that someone shined later.
People Also Ask
What years are Mercury dimes?
Circulation Mercury dimes were struck from 1916 through 1945. There is no 1922, 1923-D, 1921-S, 1930-D, 1932, 1933, or 1934-S Mercury in the pamphlet table this page uses.
How much is a Mercury dime worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, the grade, and whether it is an overdate. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-21, not an offer. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
What is Full Bands?
Full Bands is a strike designation on the central bands of the fasces. It is not a G, VF, or MS-63 cell on this chart. Do not copy a Full Bands price onto the business-strike column.
Why are 1916-P and 1916-S values on a Mercury line?
The pamphlet 1916-P and 1916-S dime totals mix Barber and Mercury. Values sit on the NGC Mercury splits. 1916-D is Mercury on this chart.
Is 1916-D an error?
No. 1916-D is the key date. The overdates are 1942/41 and 1942/41-D.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late date in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its wing. That is normal.
If you inherited a jar, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Mercuries every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.” Say what happened if you know. A dealer will see it anyway.
If you collect by type, one honest circulated Mercury will teach you the wing and the fasces. If you collect by mint mark, give yourself time. 1916-D, 1921, 1921-D, 1942/41, and 1942/41-D are the names on the key list. The rest is homework.
For the dime this one replaced, read the Barber dime page. For the Roosevelt design that follows, read the Roosevelt dime. For the silver Roosevelt years, read the pre-65 Roosevelt dime. For a nickel with a worn-off date instead of a fasces, read the Buffalo nickel. For an earlier 5-cent legend change, read the Liberty Head nickel.
A Final Word
Mercury dimes reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at the wing. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want another series on this site, the Barber dime, the Roosevelt dime, and the pre-65 Roosevelt dime are already here.