Capped Bust Dimes Mintage

March 21, 2012Posted inDimes

The mintages for the Capped Bust Dime series were generally higher than the previous series for the denomination. The quantities even stretched above the one million mark, a level that might have seemed unheard of when looking at the initial years of production. Nearly all issues of the series can be reasonably obtained, making for a collectible series at various grade levels.

Capped Bust Dime

The obverse design of the coin features Liberty, wearing a cap, giving rise to the common name for the series. Stars appear to each side, numbering thirteen in total, representing the number of states within the union. The date appears below. On the reverse design is an eagle with a shield at its chest and arrows and an olive branch grasped in its talons. The motto “E Pluribus Unum” appears above with the denomination expressed below.

Mercury Dimes Mintage

November 3, 2011Posted inDimes

The most popular design for the ten cent denomination is the Mercury Dime, which was produced from 1916 to 1945. During this time period mintages varied widely from just a few hundred thousand for the well known key date to more than 200 million for some years. Assembling an a collection for each date and mint mark within the series is an ambitious but approachable goal for collectors.

Mercury Dime

Designed by Adolph A. Weinman, the obverse of the coin features a portrait of Liberty facing left. She wears a winged cap, which led to the popular moniker for the series. It is often noted that the Roman god Mercury actually had wings on his feet. The obverse inscriptions are “Liberty”, “In God We Trust”, and the date. On the reverse is a Roman fasces, which consists of sticks bound around an axe, and an olive branch. The inscriptions are “United States of America”, “One Dime”, and “E Pluribus Unum”.

Barber Dimes Mintage

June 7, 2011Posted inDimes

The Barber Dimes remain a series that is somewhat overlooked by collectors. During the 25 year span when the series was issued, there were numerous coins with lower mintages. Since these were not saved in any quantity, high mint state graded examples are extremely elusive. Although these coins carry premiums, they are low in comparison to coins of comparable rarity from other more popular series.

Barber Dimes

The designer of the Barber Dime was Charles E. Barber, who was serving as the chief sculptor at the United States Mint at the time the series was contemplated and eventually released. The obverse features the head of Liberty facing right, wearing a cap adorned with a band inscribed “Liberty” and a wreath with thirteen leaves. Many have drawn comparisons to the Morgan Dollars designed by Charles Morgan several years earlier. The reverse of the coin features an agricultural wreath with a central inscription of the denomination “One Dime”. This concept was carried over from the previous series.