The first coins appeared in 1916, and the newspapers of the day wrongly identified the figure as Mercury. At first glance, it’s similar to classical representations of the Roman god Mercury, known as the “winged messenger”. It shows a head wearing a cap with wings. It’s the obverse – or “heads” side – of the 1943 dime that gives it its nickname. More than 324 million coins were produced, with the Philadelphia facility accounting for more than half of the total.Ī lso read: Top 17 Most Valuable Roosevelt Dimes Worth Money Features of the 1943 Mercury Dime The Obverse of the 1943 Dime Production resumed with gusto the following year and continued until 1945.ġ943 dimes were struck at the Mint facilities at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. But when the Great Depression set in in 1930, the need for new coins diminished. The first decade and a half of production saw large annual mintages of Mercury dimes. He was also awarded the task of designing both sides of the half dollar. The man chosen to redesign the dime was Adolph Weinman, already a renowned artist. A competition was launched to find new designs for all three denominations. But despite these being the work of experienced engravers, they did not find favor with the Commission of Fine Arts. Nevertheless, new coin designs were commissioned from the Mint. The legislation in question simply gave the Treasury the power to change the coins after this period, without seeking Congressional approval. The Treasury believed it was necessary for coin designs to be changed after they’d been in use for 25 years. And these all resulted from another mistake. New designs were produced for the quarter and half dollar too. The new dimes were one of several coins that were launched in 1916. And it persists to this day in the nickname.

It was the newspapers at the time of the coin’s launch who caused all the confusion. The name, though, is a mistake – the portrait isn’t of the Roman god Mercury at all.Īlthough the head is wearing a winged cap, the face is very clearly that of a woman not a man. That year saw the launch of the “Mercury dime”, so called because of the figure on the obverse. The 1943 ten-cent coin continued the series that had begun in 1916. Ready to find out more? Then read on … 1943 Mercury Dime Value Chart And we’ll learn about its design and history along the way. We’ll explore the 1943 Mercury dime value and the factors that influence it. We’re going to answer both these questions and more. But how did it get its name? And how much is one of these coins worth? The 10-cent coin struck in 1943 is often referred to as a “Mercury dime”.

1942 mercury s dime