Semi-Numismatic

1923-S Mercury Dime VF

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Struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1923, this silver ten-cent piece represents a classic era of United States coinage. The issue belongs to the celebrated Mercury Dime series, which is composed of 90 percent silver with a precious metal content of 0.0715 troy ounces. This particular specimen survives in Very Fine condition, showing the moderate wear of a coin that actively circulated in commerce during the early decades of the twentieth century. The obverse of the coin features a young depiction of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, a design element that closely resembles the traditional imagery of the Roman messenger god, Mercury. Surrounding this central figure are the inscriptions "IN GOD WE TRUST" and the date "1923". On the reverse, the design presents a fasces paired with an olive branch, symbolizing strength and peace. The inscriptions on this side include "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA", "E PLURIBUS UNUM", and the denomination "ONE DIME". The "S" mint mark is also visible, indicating its origin from the West Coast minting facility, which produced a total of 6,440,000 of these dimes in 1923.