Semi-Numismatic

1938-S Mercury Dime Good/VF

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The 1938 ten-cent piece from the San Francisco Mint represents a fascinating moment in United States coinage. Struck in 90% silver, this coin carries a precious metal content of 0.0715 troy ounces. Known popularly as the Mercury Dime, the design actually portrays a youthful personification of Liberty. On the obverse, Liberty wears a winged Phrygian cap, a powerful symbol of freedom of thought. The legend features the word LIBERTY alongside the classic national motto, IN GOD WE TRUST, and the 1938 date. This imagery was so striking that contemporary observers frequently mistook the winged figure for the Roman messenger god, Mercury, giving the series its enduring nickname. The reverse of the coin presents a contrasting theme of strength and peace. It features a traditional Roman fasces, which is a bundle of rods bound around an axe, representing unity and authority. Wrapped around the fasces is an olive branch, symbolizing a desire for peace. The inscriptions on this side include UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, the denomination ONE DIME, and the Latin phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM.