90% Silver Mercury Dimes | $1 Face Value

Ten Dimes, One Dollar, Real Silver

This lot delivers $1 in face value of 90% silver Mercury dimes, ten coins struck by the US Mint between 1916 and 1945. Junk silver like this trades close to melt, divides into small units, and carries a design collectors have chased for over a century. Ten dimes, $1 face value, 90% silver.

Not Actually Mercury

Adolph Weinman designed the obverse as an allegorical Liberty wearing a winged cap, meant to symbolize freedom of thought, not the Roman god. The public saw the wings and the cap and assumed it was Mercury anyway, and the nickname stuck so hard the Mint’s official name for the design, the Winged Liberty Head dime, never caught on in everyday use. The reverse pairs a fasces, an ancient bundle-of-rods symbol of strength, with an olive branch for peace, a message aimed squarely at a country watching World War I from the sidelines. The design was never Mercury, only the nickname was.

$1 Face Value Mercury Dime Specifications

Each dime is struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, for about 0.715 troy ounces of silver per $1 face value across the ten coins. The coins measure 17.9 mm across with a reeded edge. 0.715 troy ounces per dollar is the industry-standard figure, not the coins’ exact mint weight. Full current specs are on the Specifications tab above.

Circulated Silver, Common Dates Only

These are circulated coins that passed through decades of pocket change before reaching a stack, so wear is normal and expected. We do not dip or clean the coins we sell, so what you receive reflects genuine circulation wear, not an artificial brightening. This listing prices on silver content, not date rarity, so don’t expect a 1916-D, the series’ key date at only 264,000 struck, or a 1942/1 overdate, both of which trade far above melt in any grade. This is common-date silver, priced near its metal content.

$1 Face Value Mercury Dime FAQ

What does “$1 face value” mean here?

It means the coins add up to $1 in old US currency, not $1 in what you’d pay today. At $1 face value, that’s ten 90% silver dimes, since each one carries a $0.10 denomination. Face value sets the count, not the price you pay.

Could I get a rare 1916-D or 1942/1 overdate dime?

No. This listing ships common, circulated dates priced on silver content. The 1916-D and the 1942/1 overdate are key dates that sell for far more than melt value even in worn condition, and neither turns up in a bullion-priced lot like this. Key dates aren’t included, only common-date silver.

Why is it called a “Mercury” dime if it isn’t Mercury?

Weinman’s design shows an allegorical Liberty in a winged cap symbolizing free thought, but the public read the wings as the Roman god Mercury’s helmet and the nickname never went away, even though the Mint always called it the Winged Liberty Head dime. The nickname is a mix-up, not the coin’s real subject.

What condition are these coins in?

Circulated, meaning these passed through decades of pocket change before reaching a stack. Full legends and dates stay legible, and the high points show the smoothing normal for coins this age. Condition is circulated, not a fresh, unhandled strike.

Will I get a specific date or mint mark?

No, dates and mint marks are our choice based on available inventory, and coins may vary from any specific dates pictured. Date and mint mark vary, only the face value and silver content are fixed.

Want other 90% silver denominations? Browse our full 90% Silver Dimes selection.

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