Numismatic

1916 Mercury Dime BU

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The year 1916 marked a major transition in American coinage, introducing a design that would become one of the most celebrated in the nation's history. This ten-cent piece, struck in 0.900 fine silver at the Philadelphia Mint, represents the very first year of the Mercury Dime series. With a silver content of 0.0715 troy ounces, this specific coin has survived the decades in a certified Mint State 60 condition, preserving the details of its original strike. Designed by Adolph Weinman, the obverse of the coin features a youthful personification of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap. This distinctive headgear often led the public to mistake her for the Roman messenger god, Mercury, giving the coin its famous nickname. The legend "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the date "1916" are clearly inscribed alongside her profile. The reverse presents a powerful combination of symbols, displaying a traditional Roman fasces wrapped with an olive branch. This imagery represents both strength and peace. The inscriptions "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "E PLURIBUS UNUM", and the denomination "ONE DIME" frame the central design, completing a classic piece of American numismatic artistry.