Mercury Dimes, also known as Winged Liberty Dimes, will replace Barber Dimes in 1916.
If you are living in the United States at the beginning of the 20th century, you’d agree that US coins aren’t very exciting. President Theodore Roosevelt couldn’t agree more. During his presidency between 1901 and 1909, Roosevelt wanted to change the designs of US coins. Unfortunately, most circulating coins need Congress approval since they have only been around less than 25 years. The Liberty Nickel had only been around since 1883 and the Barber Dime, Quarter and Half Dollar began in 1892. The exception is the Indian Cent which has been around since 1859.
President Roosevelt asks sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens to create new designs for coins. He designs two new gold coins, the Indian Head Eagle ($10 gold coin) and the Double Eagle ($20 gold coin) which will bear his name. Saint-Gaudens is also in the process of designing a new cent coin to replace the Indian Cent. One design will be for the Indian Head Eagle. Before he created more designs, Saint-Gaudens would pass away on August 3, 1907.
Of course, the Indian Cent continues until 1909 when the Lincoln Cent enters circulation. In 1913, the Buffalo Nickel replaces the Liberty Nickel. This left the 3 Barber coins. 1916 is the 25th year that the Barber coins are in existence, though no Barber Half Dollars exist after 1915. This would be the perfect opportunity to design 3 new circulated coins. Before the year was over, the United States introduces Walking Liberty Half Dollars, Standing Liberty Quarters, and Mercury Dimes.
Brief History of Mercury Dimes
In 1914, there is talk about replacing the dime after recent changes to the cent and nickel. Lincoln cent designer, Victor D. Brenner, thinks of new designs for the dime, but no one shows interest, including the Secretary of the Treasury. With a war stirring in Europe, coin designs are low priority.
It isn’t until April, 1915, when Robert Wooley becomes Director of the Mint. He gets the Superintendent of the Philadelphia to talk to Chief Engraver Charles Barber, the same man who designed the Liberty Nickel and the current dime, quarter and half dollar, and have him prepare sketches of new designs. In December, Wooley submitted Barber’s sketches to the Commission of Fine Arts for review. The Commission disapproves all of his sketches and selects 3 sculptors to submit new designs. One of these sculptors is Adolph Weinman, a German born sculptor who previously studies at the Art Students League of New York under none other than Augustus Saint-Gaudens.
The 3 sculptors would submit designs in February, 1916. By February 28th, Weinman is the big winner with his designs for possibly the new dime, half dollar and quarter. The Commission didn’t think it would be a good idea for one sculptor to design all 3 coins. So one of the other sculptors, Herman MacNeil, would have the honor of designing the new quarter.
Mercury Dimes Become A Reality
On March 3, 1916, Mint Director Wooley writes to Barber that all his designs are rejected by the Commission. Submissions by Weinman and MacNeil will arrive in Philadelphia by May 1st to design the new coins. As you can imagine, Barber is not happy to hear this news. It’s been said that Barber would not make it easy for these sculptors to work on the new coins, but he can’t stop them. They get some help from engraver George T. Morgan who is the designer of the Morgan Dollar.
“Winged Liberty” or “Mercury”?
There has never been any proof who is the “Winged Liberty” that Weinman puts on the obverse of the dime. Some believe that the model is Elsie Stevens, a neighbor of Weinman who he designed a bust of in 1913. Though Weinman calls his obverse design “Winged Liberty”, most people thought it looked like the Roman god Mercury. This introduces the new coins as Mercury Dimes.
The first time “Mercury Dime” is used to name the new coin is from the publication “The Numismatist” in January, 1917. The wings on Liberty symbolize a “liberty of thought”. The reverse displays a fasces in the center with an olive branch. A fasces is a bounded bundle of wood with an ax in the middle and the ax’s blade showing on the top. Once used by the ancient Romans and Greeks, Weinman includes the fasces to symbolize war and justice. He also adds the olive branch to symbolize peace with the US staying out of World War I until 1917.
He uses Roman style lettering with his initials on the obverse above the year and the mint mark on the reverse at the bottom between the “E” in ONE and the olive branch.
Mercury Dimes Finally Replace Barber Dimes
On July 15, Mint Director Wooley resigns to become publicity chairman for President Woodrow Wilson, who is running for reelection. Over 6 months through the year 1916 and no new designs ready to mint, they had no choice but to release the Barber Dimes and Quarters to keep up with consumer need. Between July and October, the Mercury goes through lettering and thickness issues and the Barber Dimes are produced and halted in between.
The new Mercury Dimes go into production in early October and by October 30, the Mercury Dime is finally in circulation, and the Barber Dime ends production. People approve the new look on the dime as they did the Half Dollar. The first Standing Liberty Quarters had an issue that offended people, but would be resolved in 1917.
Key Dates Of Mercury Dimes
If you’ve been collecting coins for some time, you’ll know the rarest Mercury Dime is one of the most popular sought after US coins, the 1916-D. Most dimes are from Philadelphia and San Francisco in 1916, but only 264,000 come from Denver. This is because of a demand for quarters and the new Mint Director tells the Denver mint to produce enough quarters for circulation. Then they can mint dimes.
A couple of other key dates would be the 1921 and 1921-D at over a million minted each. 1922 would see no new dimes minted for the first time in almost one hundred years. The 1926-S would be a semi-key with a low mintage but reasonably priced. During the Great Depression, there were low mintages, especially from 1930 and 1931, but prices are comparable to most years. Mintage stopped in 1932 and 1933, and resume in 1934.
FYI…There are no 1923-D or 1930-D dimes minted. They are Counterfeit Coins.
A well known error with the Mercury Dime occurs at the Philadelphia and Denver mints in 1942 when the 1942 date was over 1941. A more common error is in San Francisco in 1945 with what is known as the “Micro S”. This is because some of the “S” mint marks appear smaller than normal.
There is a grading designation to show betting striking dimes. “FSB” stands for Full Striking Bands which is for the full details on the bands of the fasces on the reverse side of the coin.
Mercury Dimes Survive Two World Wars and The Great Depression
The Mercury Dime started a year before the United States entered World War I, survived the Great Depression and lasted through most of World War II, until April, 1945 with the passing of President of Franklin Delano Roosevelt. With Roosevelt’s association with the March of Dimes, it is decided to put his face on the dime starting in 1946. Mercury Dimes make it through the twenty five year obligation so Congress can approve a new design. As it was a popular design, I wonder how much longer it would had been on the dime if President Roosevelt had lived past 1945.
Centennial Celebration
In 2016, the mint releases gold coins depicting the Mercury Dime, Standing Liberty Quarter, and Walking Liberty Half Dollar. The Mercury Dime is the only one to be fully released. As you can see, the design is the same as Adolph Weinman’s original.
What do you think of Mercury Dimes?