1945 Mercury Dime : A Collector’s Guide

By Charles Morgan and Hubert Walker for CoinWeek Notes …..
 

The Mercury Dime saw its final year of production in 1945. Adolph Weinman’s beautiful design was first issued in 1916, a year before the United States entered World War I. Its production concluded after America exploded a pair of atom bombs over Japan to hasten the conclusion of World War II. The world it entered was much different than the one it left.

Despite the transition from the Mercury or Winged Liberty design to Roosevelt, the Mercury Dime remained a fixture in popular culture for another two decades, appearing regularly in Silver Age comic book ads. When the silver age of circulating coinage ended in the mid-1960s, so, too, did the era of finding Mercury Dimes in change.

The Philadelphia Mint struck 159,130,000 1945 Mercury Dimes, making the issue one of only five in the series to eclipse 100 million pieces. As such, the issue has always been considered common by collectors and was saved in sufficient numbers that even uncirculated examples were treated as bullion coins up to the early 1980s.

Coin certification and the passing of time have changed collector appreciation for uncirculated mid-20th century coinage, and uncirculated Mercury Dimes, no matter the date, are no longer viewed as just 90% silver. When strike characteristics are taken into account, the 1945 Mercury Dime reveals itself as a tough date to find with Full Bands.

With Full Bands, Gems are scarce and Super Gems are rare, making this a key date for ultra-high-end registry set competitors.

How Much Is a 1945 Mercury Dime Worth?

It is important to understand that despite the 1945 Mercury Dime’s rarity in high grades with Full Bands, the coin is common in all grades with its typical strike characteristics. Circulated examples may trade individually for $3 or $4, but in volume, these coins are bought and sold as “junk silver”. Furthermore, in uncirculated grade, 1945 Mercury Dimes trade for $15 to $20 each, but can sell for more if certified. A September eBay auction of a blast white PCGS MS66 example brought $69 with one bid. The typical uncertified uncirculated example would not likely grade so high.

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Market Data and Noteworthy Specimens

Dealer Lu Riggs offered uncirculated rolls for $6 in the August 1948 issue of The Numismatist.

At an April 2016 online auction, Stack’s Bowers sold a BU roll of 1945 Mercury Dimes for $493.50.

Top Population: PCGS MS67+ (2, 9/2024), NGC MS67FB (1, 9/2024), and CAC MS67FB (3:0 stickered:graded, 9/2024).

• PCGS MS67+FB CAC #50120564: Heritage Auctions, January 4, 2018, Lot 4810 – $96,000. Brilliant white.
• PCGS MS67+FB CAC #06545256: DLRC, June 2, 2019, Lot #610452 – $90,000. Pearlescent toning on both sides. Dark spots on the reverse at E of UNITED, between E and branch, on N of ONE and near rim to the left of 6 o’clock.
• NGC MS67FB #348459-003: Heritage Auctions, July 31, 2009, Lot 1078 – $25,300. Creamy. Russet toning above cap and on wing tip. Speckled on reverse.
• PCGS MS67: Heritage Auctions, April 5, 2001, Lot 6285 – $43,125. Brilliant.
• PCGS MS67: “Louis Bassano Collection,” Heritage Auctions, August 7, 2000, Lot 7054 – $24,150. Obverse toned with diagonal brown streaks. Splotchy toning on reverse.
• NGC MS66+FB #3643758-004: Stack’s Bowers, March 31, 2016, Lot 13049 – $11,750.
• PCGS MS66FB #36606870: Del Loy Hansen; DLRC, April 29, 2024, Lot 781623 – $26,000.

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Coin Specifications

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