Grading the Mercury Dime (Winged Liberty Head Dime)
The Mercury dime (1916-1945) is 90% silver and shows a winged Liberty (often mistaken for the god Mercury). The key grading spot is the reverse: the middle bands on the bundle of rods (the fasces). If those center bands are fully separated, the coin can earn a 'Full Bands' (FB) bonus. The famous key date is the 1916-D, which is widely faked.
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At a glance
| Years | 1916-1945 |
|---|---|
| Designer | Adolph A. Weinman (also designer of the Walking Liberty half dollar). |
| Denomination | Ten cents |
| Specifications | Weight 2.50 g; diameter 17.9 mm; reeded edge. |
Composition over time
| Period | Composition |
|---|---|
| 1916-1945 | 90% silver, 10% copper |
Where wear shows first
- Reverse: the central (middle) horizontal bands of the fasces, the highest point; full separation earns the Full Bands (FB) designation
- Obverse: Liberty's hair and the high points of the wing and face
Common weak-strike areas
- The central bands of the fasces are first to merge on a weak strike; FB coins (fully split central bands) are scarcer and command premiums
Strike designations
Full Bands (FB): awarded by PCGS and NGC when the central pair of horizontal bands on the fasces shows complete separation (a recessed split). NGC also requires the top and bottom band groups to show separation.
Grading circulated coins
Good (G-4): Liberty is an outline with a flat cheek and wing, and on the reverse the fasces is worn smooth; the diagonal bands are nearly obliterated and the vertical rods blend together, though rims and legends hold. Very Good (VG-8): the rods along the fasces' edges re-emerge and the wing regains its outline, but the bands remain incomplete. Fine (F-12): the two crossing diagonal bands are visible though worn and partly flat, about half the vertical rods separate, and the wing shows its major feather groups. Very Fine (VF-20): both diagonal bands show completely across the fasces, rod separation is clear, and the hair over Liberty's eye and along the cap edge gains detail. Extremely Fine (EF-40): the diagonal bands are bold though still flat at the very center, the rods are bold, and the wing feathers are clear with wear only on the topmost curve. About Uncirculated (AU-50): just a trace of friction on the cheek, the hair above the eye, and the top of the wing; the central crossbands show only a dulling of luster. Caveat: the central crossbands are the last thing the dies fill, so a flat central band on a fully lustrous coin (notoriously the 1945 Philadelphia issue) is weak strike, not wear. And any low-grade 1916-D must be authenticated: it is the most mintmark-altered coin in U.S. numismatics.
Grading Mint State coins
Mint State Mercuries are graded on luster and marks on Liberty's cheek and the open obverse field, but the market premium rides on strike at the central crossbands of the fasces, where the Full Bands designation described above applies. The 1945-P is the designation's famous rarity: common in gem, rare in FB.
Key dates
- 1916-D, the series key: 264,000 struck, four figures even in Good, and the most-altered mintmark in the hobby
- 1921 and 1921-D, low-mintage recession-year issues, scarce in all grades and expensive in Fine and better
- 1942/1, a naked-eye Philadelphia overdate created from mismatched hubs
- 1942/1-D, the scarcer Denver overdate, usually identified with magnification
- 1919-D and 1919-S, condition rarities that are very rare in gem with Full Bands
Semi-key dates
- 1926-S, the toughest S-mint date, scarce in VF and better
- 1931-D, a low-mintage Depression-era semi-key
Major varieties
- 1942/1 and 1942/1-D overdates, the series' major varieties
- 1945-S 'Micro S', struck with a tiny trumpet-shaped mintmark punch
- 1917 doubled-die obverses, minor but collected
Common problems
- Worn or weakly struck central bands (the FB distinction); cleaning and hairlines in the open fields
Counterfeit & alteration risks
- 1916-D key date (264,000 mintage): faked by adding a 'D' to Philadelphia coins and by complete die-struck fakes. Genuine 'D' is boxy/squared with a triangular interior; die-struck fakes show raised tooling marks
- 1942/1 and 1942/1-D overdates: among the scarcest varieties and heavily faked; genuine pieces show remnants of the underlying 1 protruding at the left side of the final 2
For the advanced grader
FB hinges on complete separation of the central crossbands; weak strikes merge them, so judge strike independently of wear. For the 1916-D, authenticate the squared, triangular-interior 'D' and watch for die-struck fakes with tooling marks; the 1942/1 overdate shows remnants of the underlying 1 at the left side of the final 2. Both PCGS and NGC use 'FB' for this series.
Photographic examples
Click any image to enlarge and zoom. Where shown, obverse, reverse, and edge views are of the same coin and year.
Same coin: 1943-D Mercury dime
More dimes to explore
Sources: Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) · Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) · Coin World
Related terms
Weak Strike · Overdate · Counterfeit · Altered Date · Mintmark