The Winged Liberty Head dime—universally nicknamed the Mercury dime—pairs freedom of thought with a fasces and olive branch across two world wars and one popular silver series.

This page covers 1916–1945 Mercury dimes, including the cataloged 1942 overdates and 1945-S Micro S. It does not include the 2016 centennial gold issue or 2026 tribute products.

Core specifications

Issue period
1916–1945
Catalog mints
3
Reported catalog mintage
2,677,225,528
Composition
90% Silver - 10% Copper
Diameter
17.9 mm
Weight
2.5 g

A new artistic language for the dime

Adolph A. Weinman's design replaced the Barber dime in 1916. Liberty's winged cap represents freedom of thought; the popular Mercury nickname comes from its resemblance to the Roman deity, not the Mint's intended subject.

The reverse combines a fasces, symbolizing strength and preparedness, with an olive branch for peace. Production spans World War I, the Depression, and World War II before Roosevelt's portrait arrived in 1946.

Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type

Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.

The main portrait and date

Liberty faces left wearing a winged cap. LIBERTY fills the rim, IN GOD WE TRUST sits before the neck, and the date is below.

Denomination, subject, and mint mark

A fasces wrapped with horizontal bands stands beside an olive branch. The mint mark appears near the lower left rim, and band separation is a strike and grading focus.

Where the cataloged coins were made

Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.

  • P — Philadelphia: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945; 1,760,828,728. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
  • D — Denver: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945; 476,000,800. Confirm the D mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
  • S — San Francisco: 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1930, 1931, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, 1945; 440,396,000. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.

Representative issues that explain the series

A date-and-mint set is broadly accessible outside the principal keys; one-per-mint, short sets, and Full Bands studies offer graduated difficulty.

  • 1916 D — 264,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1921 P — 1,230,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1921 D — 1,080,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1926 S — 1,520,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1942 P — 205,432,329. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
  • 1945 S — 41,920,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.

Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences

The current catalog records 3 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.

The issue catalog keeps all 3 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.

Issue catalog

1916 P Mercury Dime1916 D Mercury Dime1916 S Mercury Dime1917 P Mercury Dime1917 D Mercury Dime1917 S Mercury Dime1918 P Mercury Dime1918 D Mercury Dime1918 S Mercury Dime1919 P Mercury Dime1919 D Mercury Dime1919 S Mercury Dime1920 P Mercury Dime1920 D Mercury Dime1920 S Mercury Dime1921 P Mercury Dime1921 D Mercury Dime1923 P Mercury Dime1923 S Mercury Dime1924 P Mercury Dime1924 D Mercury Dime1924 S Mercury Dime1925 P Mercury Dime1925 D Mercury Dime1925 S Mercury Dime1926 P Mercury Dime1926 D Mercury Dime1926 S Mercury Dime1927 P Mercury Dime1927 D Mercury Dime1927 S Mercury Dime1928 P Mercury Dime1928 D Mercury Dime1928 S Mercury Dime1929 P Mercury Dime1929 D Mercury Dime1929 S Mercury Dime1930 P Mercury Dime1930 S Mercury Dime1931 P Mercury Dime1931 D Mercury Dime1931 S Mercury Dime1934 P Mercury Dime1934 D Mercury Dime1935 P Mercury Dime1935 D Mercury Dime1935 S Mercury Dime1936 P Mercury Dime1936 D Mercury Dime1936 S Mercury Dime1937 P Mercury Dime1937 D Mercury Dime1937 S Mercury Dime1938 P Mercury Dime1938 D Mercury Dime1938 S Mercury Dime1939 P Mercury Dime1939 D Mercury Dime1939 S Mercury Dime1940 P Mercury Dime1940 D Mercury Dime1940 S Mercury Dime1941 P Mercury Dime1941 D Mercury Dime1941 S Mercury Dime1942 P Mercury Dime1942 D Mercury Dime1942 S Mercury Dime1943 P Mercury Dime1943 D Mercury Dime1943 S Mercury Dime1944 P Mercury Dime1944 D Mercury Dime1944 S Mercury Dime1945 P Mercury Dime1945 D Mercury Dime1945 S Mercury Dime

From one type coin to a complete catalog

  • One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
  • Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
  • Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
  • Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.

A note on catalog records

This page uses 77 issue records, 3 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.

Sources

  1. Dime: Designs and History — United States Mint
  2. Mercury Dime category reference — PCGS CoinFacts