Mercury Dime Key Years
Mercury dime collecting has gotten complicated with all the key date debates, grade rarity distinctions, and full bands premiums flying around. As someone who has assembled multiple Mercury dime sets, I learned everything there is to know about which years actually matter. Today, I will share it all with you.
The Series Overview
Probably should have led with this section, honestly—Mercury dimes ran from 1916 to 1945. Adolph Weinman’s design shows Liberty in a winged cap (not Mercury, despite the nickname). The reverse features the fasces with olive branch.
True Key Dates
That’s what makes certain years endearing to us Mercury collectors—genuine scarcity:
- 1916-D: Only 264,000 minted. The undisputed king. Even heavily worn examples cost thousands.
- 1921 and 1921-D: Post-WWI low mintage years. Scarce in all grades.
- 1926-S: Low mintage from San Francisco
Semi-Key Dates
- 1919-D, 1919-S
- 1927-D
- 1931-D, 1931-S
Overdate Varieties
The 1942/1 overdates (both P and D) are popular error varieties where a 1941 die was repunched with 1942. These command significant premiums.
Full Bands
Coins showing complete separation of the horizontal bands on the fasces (“Full Bands” or FB) bring premiums in all dates. Even common dates become valuable in FB condition.
Building a Set
Start with common dates in the grades you can afford. Save key dates for later when you better understand the series and can identify properly graded examples.
