Semi-Numismatic

1939 Mercury Dime AU

---

Struck in 90% fine silver, this ten-cent piece from 1939 represents a classic era of United States coinage. Often referred to as the Mercury Dime, the coin contains 0.0715 troy ounces of precious metal. It was minted in Philadelphia during the late 1930s, arriving just before the global landscape shifted dramatically. The obverse of the coin displays a youthful depiction of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, a design created by Adolph Weinman. This distinctive headgear, which historically symbolized freedom of thought, led the public to mistake the figure for the Roman messenger god, Mercury. Surrounding the portrait are the inscriptions of liberty and trust, along with the 1939 date. On the reverse, the design features a fasces, which is a bundle of rods bound around an ax, positioned alongside an olive branch. This imagery represents strength and readiness for defense, balanced by a desire for peace. The traditional Latin motto, E PLURIBUS UNUM, is visible alongside the denomination, making this coin a fascinating study in American symbolic art.