What one Mercury dime is worth in silver
One Mercury dime contains 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver, from a coin weighing 2.5 grams at 900 parts per thousand. At the current benchmark that metal is worth $3.87. The benchmark behind it was set on , and every figure on this page moves with it.
| How many | Face value | Pure silver | Melt value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $0.10 | 0.0723 ozt | $3.87 |
| 10 | $1.00 | 0.7234 ozt | $38.66 |
| 20 | $2.00 | 1.4468 ozt | $77.32 |
| 50 | $5.00 | 3.6170 ozt | $193.30 |
| 100 | $10.00 | 7.2339 ozt | $386.60 |
What the coin is
The Mercury dime was struck from 1916 to 1945 at 2.5 grams, 90% silver, giving 0.07234 troy ounces of pure silver per coin. The name is a misnomer that stuck: the figure on the obverse is Liberty wearing a winged cap, symbolising freedom of thought, and the coin’s proper name is the Winged Liberty Head dime. Adolph Weinman designed it, and the same year he designed the Walking Liberty half.
Every US dime dated 1964 or earlier shares that 2.5 gram, 90% silver specification, whether it is a Mercury, a Barber or an early Roosevelt. From 1965 the dime became copper-nickel clad and contains no silver at all. The date is the whole test, and the edge confirms it: a silver dime shows a solid silver-grey edge, a clad one shows a copper stripe.
Ten dimes make one dollar of face value, and a dollar of face value in 90% silver coin is 0.7234 troy ounces as struck. That is the unit the trade actually quotes, because dimes, quarters and halves were all struck to the same weight per dollar and can be mixed freely in a bag.
Is it worth more than its metal?
The 1916-D is the key to the series and one of the most valuable regular-issue US coins of the twentieth century. Only around 264,000 were struck at Denver, and even a heavily worn example is worth well into four figures. It is also the most counterfeited date in the series, usually by adding a D mint mark to a Philadelphia coin, so any 1916-D should be authenticated before it is sold.
After that, the 1921 and 1921-D are both scarce, and the 1942/1 overdate, where a 1941 die was repunched with a 1942 date, is a well known and valuable variety in both Philadelphia and Denver versions. The overdate is visible under magnification as a 1 showing through the 2.
Condition matters more on this series than on most, because of Full Split Bands. The fasces on the reverse has horizontal bands across the middle, and on a fully struck coin those bands show a clear split line. An uncirculated Mercury with Full Split Bands can be worth many times the same coin without them, so an uncirculated roll is not a bullion item.
Selling it
Worn common-date Mercury dimes are junk silver in the trade sense, which is not an insult: it means they are bought and sold for their metal at a small discount or premium to melt, by the roll or the bag. That is a perfectly efficient market and there is no shame in selling into it.
Before you do, check every 1916 for a D, check the 1921s, and look at anything that still has mint lustre. Those three checks take ten minutes on a roll of fifty and are the difference between a fair bullion price and giving away a four figure coin with a bag of change.
Melt, resale and appraisal value sets out why those three numbers differ for the same object, and how we calculate shows every constant used on this page.
Mercury dime questions
How much silver is in a Mercury dime?
0.07234 troy ounces, from 2.5 grams of 90% silver. Every US dime dated 1964 or earlier has the same silver content, whatever the design.
What is a Mercury dime worth?
Common worn dates are worth their silver, which is the figure at the top of this page, plus a small trading premium. The 1916-D is worth thousands in any grade, and uncirculated coins with Full Split Bands carry large premiums.
How do I know if my dime is silver?
Check the date. 1964 and earlier is 90% silver, 1965 and later is copper-nickel clad with no silver. If the date is unreadable, look at the edge: a clad dime shows a copper-coloured stripe, a silver one does not.
Why is the 1916-D Mercury dime so valuable?
Only about 264,000 were struck at Denver, a tiny mintage for a circulating coin, and most entered circulation and wore down. It is the key date of the series and is also heavily counterfeited, so have one authenticated before selling.
Is a Mercury dime actually Mercury?
No. The figure is Liberty in a winged cap representing freedom of thought, and the coin’s official name is the Winged Liberty Head dime. The resemblance to the Roman god gave it a nickname that outlived the official one.