10 cent coin minted in the USA between 1916 and 1945
Mercury (Winged Liberty) dime
United States
Value
10 cents (0.10 U.S. dollar)
Mass
2.500 g
Diameter
17.91 mm (0.705 in)
Edge
118 reeds
Composition
0.900 silver, 0.100 copper
Gold
2016 gold commemorative version: 0.9999 fine, diameter 16.5 mm, mass 0.10 troy oz
Silver
0.07234 troy oz
Years of minting
1916–1945
Mint marks
D, S, (2016 only) W. Located on reverse between letter "E" in "ONE" and the base of the olive branch. Philadelphia Mint specimens lack mint mark.
Obverse
Design
A young Liberty, with winged cap
Designer
Adolph Weinman
Design date
1916
Reverse
Design
Olive branch, fasces
Designer
Adolph Weinman
Design date
1916
The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from late 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman and also referred to as the Winged Liberty Head dime, it gained its common name because the obverse depiction of a young Liberty, identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap, was confused with the Roman god Mercury. Weinman is believed to have used Elsie Stevens, the wife of lawyer and poet Wallace Stevens, as a model. The coin's reverse depicts a fasces, symbolizing unity and strength, and an olive branch, signifying peace.
By 1916, the dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber had been struck for 25 years, and could be replaced by the Treasury, of which the Mint is a part, without Congressional authorization. Mint officials were under the misapprehension that the designs had to be changed, and held a competition among three sculptors, in which Barber, who had been in his position for 36 years, also took part. Weinman's designs for the dime and half dollar were selected.
Although the new coin's design was admired for its beauty, the Mint made modifications to it upon learning that vending machine manufacturers were having difficulties making the new dime work in their devices. The coin continued to be minted until 1945, when the Treasury ordered that a new design, featuring recently deceased president Franklin Roosevelt, take its place. The Mercury dime was minted again but in gold for its centenary in 2016.
The Mercurydime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from late 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman and also referred to as the Winged...
Dimes. The ten-cent coin could be changed by the Mint without the need for congressional action, and officials moved quickly to replace the Mercury dime...
The Mint issued Barber dimes and quarters in 1916 to meet commercial demand, but before the end of the year, the Mercurydime, Standing Liberty quarter...
occurs as a charge in heraldry: it is present on the reverse of the U.S. Mercurydime coin and behind the podium in the United States House of Representatives;...
the Goddess of Liberty in a Seated Liberty design included the half dime, the dime, the quarter, the half dollar, and until 1873 the silver dollar. Another...
obverse of the American Silver Eagle one-ounce bullion coin, and the "Mercury" dime along with various medals for the Armed Services of the United States...
on the obverse, was introduced in 1909. Also, the Buffalo nickel and Mercurydime were both introduced in the 1910s (1913 and 1916, respectively). The...
coin uses Adolph Weinman's obverse design on the Winged Liberty Head "Mercury" dime, Liberty wearing a winged hat, while its reverse design is based on...
diversity of the form include Bunce's Ten Cent Novels, Brady's Mercury Stories, Beadle's Dime Novels, Irwin P. Beadle's Ten Cent Stories, Munro's Ten Cent...
American silver "Mercury" dimes, especially with a leap year date, are especially lucky. Gamblers' charms are often these dimes, Mercury being the Roman...
Elsie. Her striking profile may have been used on Weinman's 1916–1945 Mercurydime and the Walking Liberty Half Dollar. In later years, Elsie Stevens began...
Iola, WI: Krause Publications: 64. Lange, David. "MercuryDimes. Chapter 1: History of the MercuryDimes". Virginia Beach, VA: DLRC Press. Archived from...
sign with the building's name and a dime with a Mercury cap. The top of the archway contains a keystone with a Mercury head. An end bay exists to the east...
counting the year of first issuance. The Walking Liberty half dollar and Mercurydime had been first issued in 1916; they could be replaced without congressional...
the 1909 S VDB wheat cent, the 1950 D Jefferson nickel, and the 1916 D Mercurydime. People search the rolls for error coins that have defects from the minting...
President Robert Weinman (son of Adolph Weinman, who had designed the Mercurydime and Walking Liberty half dollar), Connecticut sculptor Adlai S. Hardin...
following areas: shield nickels, liberty head nickels, buffalo nickels, Mercurydimes, walking liberty half dollars, and Indian head $10 gold coins. He is...
ultraviolet light disrupts DNA base pairing, causing formation of pyrimidine dimers, and leads to the inactivation of bacteria, viruses, and protozoans. It...
decision. Moore and commission member Adolph Weinman (who had designed the Mercurydime and Walking Liberty half dollar) attempted to get Mellon to change his...
door-to-door. In November 1920, she was said to be working as a ticket-taker in a dime museum. From January to May 1921, a series of twenty serialized articles...
a Dutch sailing ship. It was designed by Howard Weinman, the son of Mercurydime designer Adolph A. Weinman. The Long Island Tercentenary Committee wanted...
the company, various descriptors may be added, such as Full Bands for Mercurydimes, Full Bell Lines (FBL) for Franklin Half Dollars, or Deep Mirror Prooflike...
States Territories quarters, five dollar coins, and the standard nickel, dime, and half dollar. In 2019, a penny featuring the W mint mark (indicating...
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