The Renaissance of United States Coinage, 1907-21:

Part 5: Adolph A. Weinman's "Winged Liberty " ("Mercury") Dime, 1916-45

by Tolling Jennings .

 

Adolph A. Weinman,     Designer of both the "Winged Liberty " ("Mercury") dime and "Walking Liberty " half-dollar

There is something special about a small silver coin; they speak to something genetic or hereditary in our natures. The dime-sized silver piece has been part of the human experience from the earliest days of coinage. Greek and Roman coins of this size were prized and held as a store of wealth. The early English penny is a small silver coin which introduced the common man to silver and were the first pieces to see heavy use in commerce. The dime-sized silver coin is the transition between base and precious metals in most national coinages. These were the workhorses of commerce until recent inflation demoted them almost to insignificance.

In 1916, when the "Winged Liberty Dime" was introduced into U.S. commerce, one could purchase a "Blue Plate Special" for 10 cents. You and your girl friend could take in a "motion picture" for a dime. A roll of fifty of these coins would represent a day's wages for a skilled worker in 1916. If you delivered a dime to a bullion dealer today, you would be rewarded with one dollar!

Adolph Weinman's Dime design was greeted with acclaim by numismatists and the general public as well. The stunning youthful head of Miss Liberty with her Phrygian cap and winged imagination are both modern and traditional. The elegant font of the motto " LIBERTY " and the way the head conceals some letters adds depth to the design and vitality to the coin's obverse. The soft lines and flow of Weinman's art speaks directly to the art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. He was a student of Saint-Gaudens and a romantic in a world that was entering into a time of horror and degradation. The so-called "Mercury" dime is the only coin in the redesign campaign of U.S. coinage that did not undergo a revision after its introduction.

By the middle of 1915, when Adolph Weinman was at work on the dime and the half-dollar, it was obvious that the United States was going to be involved in the war in Europe . The main issue was which side to join in the war. Although hard to realize now, at that time there were many citizens of German descent who were lobbying for the U.S. to enter the war on that side. Also, the last major war with a foreign power in which the U.S. was involved was the War of 1812 against England and for many Americans, anti-English feeling was part of the national consciousness. For this reason, they were not in favour of entering the war at all, let alone on Britain 's side.

These feelings were captured on the reverse of the dime with the use of the Roman fasces as the main device. The fasces is a symbol of power and unity. In ancient Rome , it represented the power of the state over life and death. In earlier times, it symbolized how many weak individuals may gain strength when they band together. Ever the optomist, Weinman included an olive branch in the design to indicate that the U.S. would prefer peace but was ready for war. The olive branch is superimposed by the fasces, suggesting that war is coming.

 

U.S.A. "Winged Liberty " ("Mercury") dime, 1916-D   The key date in MS-64

 

 

Pattern 1916 "Mercury" dime. One of several patterns that Weinman produced. Note placement of the date, the large motto and the fact the helmet is far from the B. This pattern was discovered in change in 1961 but the relative lack of wear seems to show that it hadn't been there long.

 

The design works both artistically and mechanically. The coins were well suited to the high-speed coining presses at the Mint. The coins were minted in quantity and are available in all years and mints in circulated grades. Higher grades in the early years can be hard to find with the exception of the 1916 Philadelphia Mint coin which was hoarded in quantity and may be had today in high MS grade at a very reasonable cost. A collection in EF or above of the mintages from 1916 to 1934 is a real challenge to complete, often taking years to assemble. There are several rarities. The 1916-D with a mintage of 264,000 is the key to the series. In the grade of VG, this coin is over US$1,000. The 1921 and 1921-D can be a challenge to find in higher grades and will cost over US$500 in VF grade. The war year 1942 saw the creation of the 1942 over 41; this coin was minted in both Philadelphia and Denver . The Philadelphia overdate was not discovered for several years and that of Denver not until a few years ago; therefore these coins will cost well above US$600 in VF.

 

U.S.A. 1942/1 dimes. Lt.: Philadelphia mint Rt.: Denver mint

 

Many of the dimes were set aside during the 1940s in uncirculated condition and may now be added to your collection in high grade for less than US$10. If you wish to have one with "full split bands" (a superior strike), you will have to pay somewhat more. The 15-coin "short set" of war-year coins 1941-to-45 may be purchased in Unc for under $US100.

The "Mercury" dime was replaced by the " Roosevelt " dime in 1946 as a tribute to the late president. The following year, the "Walking Liberty" half-dollar would be replaced by the " Franklin " half-dollar, ending the renaissance of United States coinage with what is sometimes referred to as the "Dead Presidents" series.

Wayne Jacobs is numismatic expert. He is the award winning author of numerous articles. He is the secretary and editor of the "Mid-Island Coin Club Numismatic Journal"of Nanaimo, Vancouver Island , British Columbia. The MICC journal are hosted here: MICC webpages Copyright 2006 Wayne Jacobs. This article may be reprinted freely for non commercial purpose only if the resource box is left intact, linking back to us.