Semi-Numismatic

1940 Mercury Dime AU

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Struck in 1940 at the Philadelphia Mint, this ten-cent silver piece represents a classic era of American coinage. The coin contains 0.0715 troy ounces of silver, with a metal purity of 90 percent. Known widely as the Mercury dime, this series is celebrated for its artistic merit and detailed imagery, which remains highly visible on this Almost Uncirculated specimen. The obverse of the coin displays a youthful representation of Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap, a design element that historically led to the popular, though mistaken, association with the Roman messenger god Mercury. Alongside this portrait, the timeless motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" is clearly inscribed, accompanied by the 1940 date of issue. On the reverse side, the central imagery features a traditional fasces, a bundle of rods bound around an axe, which is closely intertwined with a leafy olive branch. The Latin phrase "E PLURIBUS UNUM" is legible alongside the denomination "ONE DIME," completing a design conceived by Adolph Weinman that remains a favorite among numismatic enthusiasts.