Semi-Numismatic

1917-D Mercury Dime Fine

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This 1917 silver ten-cent piece, struck at the Denver Mint, represents an iconic era in United States coinage. Often referred to as the Mercury Dime, the coin is composed of 90 percent silver, containing approximately 0.0715 troy ounces of precious metal. It survives today in Fine condition, showing the honest wear of a coin that circulated through daily commerce during a pivotal moment in global history. The obverse features a youthful depiction of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, a design element intended to symbolize freedom of thought. This striking image, created by Adolph Weinman, was frequently mistaken by the public for the Roman god Mercury, giving the series its famous nickname. Legible inscriptions on this side include the word LIBERTY and the national motto, IN GOD WE TRUST, alongside the 1917 date. On the reverse, the design presents a fasces, which is a bundle of rods bound around an ax, positioned alongside an olive branch. This pairing represents the dual concepts of strength and peace. The reverse inscriptions include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the denomination ONE DIME, and the Latin phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM. A small letter D indicates its origin at the Denver coinage facility.