By 1965 the copper-nickel clad era began, and Mercury dimes quickly became rare sightings in everyday commerce. Mercury dimes were issued by the United States Mint from 1916 through 1945 and largely remained in circulation until the early 1960s, when bullion hoarders began removing 90% silver coins from circulation. And, in recent months, the series made headlines when one of the nicest collections of Mercury dimes ever assembled crossed the auction block and broke records.

The Winged Liberty Head dime, more commonly known as the “Mercury” dime due to Miss Liberty’s resemblance on the coin to the Roman god of the same name, still wins over countless new and seasoned collectors today. These 90% silver dimes, which bear an obverse portrait of Miss Liberty donning a winged Phrygian cap and a reverse design incorporating fasces wrapped within an olive branch, have been collected by countless hobbyists since the coin’s earliest days. At least since the advent of coin boards in the 1930s and coin folders in the 1940s, Mercury dimes have been a staple for American coin collectors.

1942 mercury dime