Mercury Dime Overview

History of the 1944 Mercury Dime The 1944 Mercury Dime is one of the more interesting dates in the Mercury Dime series. First, the Mint at Philadelphia says that 231,410,000 examples of the Mercury Dime were minted in 1944. This is by far the largest amount minted in the series and is due to the wartime economy. Lapel Pin 1944-S Mercury Dime, a.k.a. A Liberty Dime - Silver. Also makes a pretty brooch.

1944 Mercury Dime

Both beautiful and stunning, the Mercury Dime has been seen as one of the greatest US dimes that were ever produced. Made primarily out of silver, Mercury Dimes enjoy large demand from both collectors and investors.

1944 Liberty Dime Coin Value

Half Dime – Liberty Seated – 1837-1873: $10 – $50: $150 – $300: Dimes. Beginning with the Draped Bust design of 1796, there have been numerous varieties of United States dime designs. Following the Draped Bust were the Capped Bust, Liberty Seated, Barber, Mercury and Roosevelt designs. Each design has its own unique beauty and numerous. Ord# ecd-13 type: mercury dime date: 1944 error: die cap -obv & rev-die clash? Rev grade:ms-66 notes: first 2 pics at 10x nikon macro-last 2 pics at 100- on microscope this is a super coin in ms66, it has to shiny rubs on either side of the y and l this i think happened in the die capping. The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from late 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman and also referred to as the Winged Liberty Head dime, it gained its common name because the obverse depiction of a young Liberty, identifiable by her winged Phrygian cap, was confused with the Roman god Mercury.

Designed in 1915 by Adolph Weinman, the Mercury Dime was set to replace the long-running Barber design. This decision was made by US Mint director Robert Woolley, who commissioned a competition to find the next design for America’s dime. Weinman not only won the competition for his dime design, he also won with his design for the half dollar.

Weinman’s obverse design featured a bust of Lady Liberty wearing a cap with wings. The “LIBERTY” motto can be found above the bust and “IN GOD WE TRUST” graces the left of Liberty. The date of mintage can be found below the bust. Just to the right of the date, a “W” can be found and is Adolph Weinman’s initial.

The reverse of the Mercury Dime is unique compared to other coins of the time. A fasces or hatchet surrounded by wooden rods is the prominent design. An olive branch is added to represent peace. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” can be found above the fasces. The denomination, “TEN CENTS,” is found centered below and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” is found in the right field.

Want to know more about the Mercury Dime as well as other collectible US Dimes? Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Collectible Dimes.

History of the 1944 Mercury Dime

The 1944 Mercury Dime is one of the more interesting dates in the Mercury Dime series.

First, the Mint at Philadelphia says that 231,410,000 examples of the Mercury Dime were minted in 1944. This is by far the largest amount minted in the series and is due to the wartime economy. Money needed to be injected into the economy and the Mercury Dime was not the only coin to see a huge uptick in production.

1944 was a year that saw a decrease in strike quality, with few Mercury Dimes having full and strong strikes. This makes coins that feature full split bands on the fasces exceedingly rare.

Like all other Mercury Dimes, the 1944 Mercury Dime features a composition made up of 90% silver and 10% copper. Physical properties included a weight of 2.50 grams and a diameter of 17.91mm.

Full Bands on 1944 Mercury Dime

As discussed above, 1944 Mercury Dimes tend to have a much weaker strike than other dates in the series. Because of this weak strike, not many coins feature full separation of each band holding the wooden rods in the fasces.

A fully struck Mercury Dime that features Full Bands will have all bands on the fasces fully visible and have a small line through the middle running horizontally. Any type of abrasion or nick that disrupts this small line on each band will not get a “Full Bands” designation.

Most of the time, only 1944 Mercury Dimes that are in Uncirculated condition have a chance of displaying Full Bands. In conditions below Uncirculated condition, the chance that the bands have been worn due to circulation rises immensely.

Due to their rarity, 1944 Mercury Dimes that display Full Bands are worth much more than similar grade coins. Only third party grading companies give the “Full Bands” designation. This requires a collector to send their coin in to get it certified if they want to claim this designation.

Valuing the 1944 Mercury Dime

The 1944 Mercury Dime sits on two extremes when it comes to the value of the coin.

Most commonly, 1944 Mercury Dimes will fall into the lower end of the spectrum when it comes to pricing. Examples in Fine condition and below are only valued at the price of their silver content, around $1.50.

Values rise only when the coin is in MS-60 condition, with examples retailing for $6. Still relatively affordable at $27, the MS-65 examples shows little appreciation in price over their MS-60 counterparts.

1944 Mercury Dimes that have gotten the “Full Bands” designation are far more valuable than non-designation coins.

MS-65 coins with Full Bands are valued at $80, a huge increase over the $27 for a non-designation example. No examples have been graded lower than MS-60 while receiving a “Full Bands” designation, based on third party grader NCG’s database.

1944 Liberty Dime Coin Value

The 1944 Mercury dimes have value as both numismatic coins and as silver bullion. Keep reading to learn more about these silver coins.

Specifications

Type: Mercury Dime
Year: 1944
Face Value: $0.10
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Silver Weight: .07234 oz.
Total Weight: 2.5 grams
Current Silver Bullion Value: $1.97

1944 Liberty Dime Values

Mercury dimes are also known as Winged Liberty Head dimes. The US minted the 1944 dime with no mint mark and also the 1944 D dime and 1944 S dime. The mint mark, when present, can be found on the reverse side of the coin.

Value

This coin in circulated condition is worth at least its weight in silver. The silver melt value for this coin is $1.97 as of February 09, 2021. This melt value is calculated from the current silver spot price of $27.24 per ounce.

The 1944 dime with no mint mark is worth around $3 in very fine condition. In extremely fine condition the value is around $3.25. In uncirculated condition the price is around $6 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 65 can sell for around $25.

The 1944 D dime and the 1944 S dime have similar values. In very fine condition the value is around $3 and in extremely fine condition the value is around $3.25. In uncirculated condition the price is around $7 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 65 can sell for around $30.

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Grading System

Very fine- Each of the diagonal bands are completely visible.

Extremely fine- There is only a small amount of wear on the diagonal bands. Liberty's braids and the hair before her ear are completely visible.

1937 Liberty Dime

MS 60 uncirculated- There are no signs of wear. The coin has luster, but there may be a few stains, abrasions, or surface marks.

Liberty Head Dime Value Chart

MS 65 gem uncirculated- There is strong luster and eye appeal. A few light contact marks may be present but they are barely noticeable.

Sources:

1944 Liberty Dime Values

See also:

1945 Dime
1943 Dime
1942 Dime