Last 3 S Mint Mercury Dimes

The Mercury Silver Dime is one of America‘s most beloved classic coins. It was minted only from 1916 to 1945, and this collection features the last three coins struck at the U.S. Mint in San Francisco: 1943, 1944, and 1945. Significantly, these were also the last three years of World War II, so each coin was issued in the World War II era. Each coin was struck in 90% silver and bears the coveted “S” mint mark on the reverse, to the left of the bottom of the olive branch. The coin features Liberty wearing a winged cap to represent freedom of thought, but the public thought it showed Mercury, the Roman messenger of the gods who wore wings on his sandals to represent the speed with which he delivered messages; as a result, it became known as the Mercury Dime! The reverse shows a Roman fasces (an ax within a group of rods) and an olive branch to symbolize the power of the government to enforce security as well as to pursue peace. Millions of Mercury Silver Dimes have been melted through the years for their precious silver bullion – leaving few coins for today’s collectors.