90% Silver Mercury Dime – Brilliant Uncirculated

A Brilliant Uncirculated Mercury Dime, Date Our Choice

This listing is for one Mercury dime from the US Mint’s 1916 to 1945 run, in brilliant uncirculated condition. Each dime is 90% silver and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver. The date and mint mark are pulled from what we have on hand, so the coin you receive may be from any year in the series.

 

Not Mercury at All

The nickname is a mistake that stuck. The head on the front is Liberty, not the Roman messenger god. Adolph Weinman gave her a winged cap, and he wrote that the wings stood for “liberty of thought.” People looking at a winged head saw Mercury, and the name has outlasted the explanation.

 

The Front and the Back

Liberty faces left under LIBERTY, with IN GOD WE TRUST at the lower left and the date at the lower right. Weinman’s small AW monogram sits just behind her neck. The back shows a fasces, a bundle of rods with an axe blade at the top, wrapped by an olive branch. The fasces stands for unity and strength, and the olive branch for peace. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs around the top, E PLURIBUS UNUM sits to the right, and ONE DIME runs along the bottom.

 

One Designer, Two Classics

Weinman’s dime arrived in 1916 alongside his Walking Liberty half dollar, both part of the same round of new silver coin designs. The Walking Liberty is the figure later chosen for the front of the American Silver Eagle, so one sculptor is behind both this small dime and one of the best-known silver bullion designs.

 

What Uncirculated Means Here

Brilliant uncirculated means the dime shows no wear from circulation. It does not mean every coin looks like our photos. These dimes are 80 years old or more, and depending on the date, yours may show toning, spots, or small marks from storage. Strike quality also varies. Some dimes left the Mint with full detail on the bands of the fasces, and many did not. We do not pick for a particular date, mint, or strike.

 

90% Silver Dime Specifications

Each dime is .900 fine silver and contains 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver. It measures 17.9 mm across, with a reeded edge, and has a face value of $0.10. Dates vary, and the coins are listed as brilliant uncirculated. Full details are on the Specifications tab above.

 

90% Silver Mercury Dime FAQ

 

Which date will I get?

It depends on our stock. Dates and mint marks vary across the 1916 to 1945 series, and a specific date is not guaranteed.

 

How much silver is in one dime?

0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver. The coin is 90% silver and 10% copper.

 

Why is it called a Mercury dime?

Because people mistook Liberty’s winged cap for the god Mercury. Weinman meant the wings to stand for liberty of thought.

 

Is it really uncirculated?

Yes. It shows no circulation wear, though age can bring toning or small storage marks.

 

Want more 90% silver in dime form? Browse our 90% silver dimes.

 

Add the 90% Silver Mercury Dime, Brilliant Uncirculated, to your cart.