USA 1 dime Mercury 1921
USA, Denver
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dime |
| Krause number | KM# 140 |
| Mintage | 1,080,000 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 1.3 mm |
| diameter | 17.91 mm |
| weight | 2.5 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Description:
Phrygian cap
Creators:
Adolph Alexander Weinman (WA)
IN GOD WE TRUST
LIBERTY
WA
Reverse:
Liberty
Plant
Description:
FascesOlive branch
Creators:
Adolph Alexander Weinman (WA)
E PLURIBUS UNUM
ONE DIME
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
This issue recorded the second lowest mintage of the series and has always been a collector favorite. Thousands of heavily worn examples have survived due to the hoarding that occurred after the arrival of low-priced coin boards in the mid 1930s. 1921-D dimes are noticeably more scarce than their Philadelphia cousins of nearly similar mintage. Mint State survivors are elusive, with gems being quite rare. The percentage of Full Band examples is smaller than for 1921(P), but then 1921-D dimes are less likely to have the extreme peripheral weakness seen on the Philadelphia coins. The specimen illustrated is exceptional in all respects and hardly representative of the typical MS coin. As with all Denver Mint coins from this period, 1921-D dimes are often seen with die cracks. Since the mintage of this issue was fairly low, the problem doesn't seem to have resulted from overuse of the dies. Instead, a flawed procedure for hardening the dies or machining the collars was the likely culprit. All 1921-D dimes were coined early in the year, and production of this denomination did not resume at Denver until 1924. Existing stocks of dimes from the boom years of 1917-20 were sufficient to meet circulating demand.Read More
