Mercury dimes, also sometimes called Winged-Liberty Head dimes, made their debut in 1916.
Designed by Adolph A. Weinman, the Mercury dime is a coin popular among collectors and also enjoys a following among investors.
Most Mercury dimes are fairly common.
They remained in circulation for years after the last Mercury dime was struck by the U.S. Mint in 1945.
They were struck by the tens of millions during many years.
Prices are relatively low, especially for 1930s and 1940s issues. Almost anybody can afford to buy at least one for their collection.
How has the Mercury dime fared in the coin market?…
Rare Mercury Dimes
Mercury dimes are also known for their rarities.
One, the 1916-D, is a “modern rarity” that is as popular in some circles as the famously rare and valuable 1909-S V.D.B. cent.
Because Mercury dimes tend to be collected as a series (with every date and mintmark combination collected as a set), such demand puts pressure on supply.
For that reason, Mercury dimes have seen some price increases over the past several years.
Mercury Dime Values In 1994 vs. In 2009
Let’s look at 9 Mercury dimes and see how their prices have changed between the publications of the 1994 edition of the revered A Guide Book of United States Coins and the 2009 edition.
- 1916: $1.50 to $50 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1916: $3 to $45 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1916-D: $325 to $4,500 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1916-D: $900 to $18,000 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1921: $20 to $1,400 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1921: $65 to $1,800 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1921-D: $30 to $1,650 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1921-D: $80 to $1,850 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1926-S: $6 to $1,600 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1926-S: $13-1,500 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1931-D: $6 to $95 in Good to Mint-State 63 (1994)
- 1931-D: $8 to $140 in Good to Mint-State 63 (2009)
- 1942, 2 over 1: $225 to $6,000 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
- 1942, 2 over 1: $625 to $15,000 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
- 1942-D 2 over 1: $225 to $4,200 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
- 1942-D 2 over 1: $675 to $8,000 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
- 1945-S Micro S: $1.25 to $65 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (1994)
- 1945-S Micro S: $2 to $100 in Fine to Mint-State 65 (2009)
Scarce Mercury Dime Values
The scarce Mercury dimes have seen very nice price increases over the past 15 years.
The only price that decreased among those listed above was that for the Mint-State 63 1916 Mercury dime.
Yet, despite the price increases listed above, coin investing is risky. Price trends over a period of years are a good indicator of future activity.
But nothing is guaranteed in the world of coin investing. Therefore, use this information only as informational insight, not as a guide to which coins you should invest in.
Must read: Rare Coins vs. Scarce Coins
I’m the Coin Editor here at TheFunTimesGuide. My love for coins began when I was 11 years old. I primarily collect and study U.S. coins produced during the 20th century. I’m a member of the American Numismatic Association (ANA) and the Numismatic Literary Guild (NLG) and have won multiple awards from the NLG for my work as a coin journalist. I’m also the editor at the Florida United Numismatists Club (FUN Topics magazine), and author of Images of America: The United States Mint in Philadelphia (a book that explores the colorful history of the Philadelphia Mint). I’ve contributed hundreds of articles for various coin publications including COINage, The Numismatist, Numismatic News, Coin Dealer Newsletter, Coin Values, and CoinWeek. I’ve authored nearly 1,000 articles here at The Fun Times Guide to Coins (many of them with over 50K shares), and I welcome your coin questions in the comments below!
