Coin value · live melt price
Mercury Dime Value & Melt Value Today
Every Mercury dime holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver; that sets its melt value. A few dates, led by the 1916-D, sell for far more than their silver.
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Melt value
$0.00
0 troy oz of pure silver
Metal value only, before any dealer spread. Scarce dates and high grades can be worth much more.
Value at today's silver price
| Amount | Pure silver | Melt value |
|---|---|---|
| 1 coin | 0.072 oz | — |
| Roll of 50 ($5 face) | 3.617 oz | — |
| $100 face value | 72.34 oz | — |
Figures assume full-weight coins. For worn 90% coins the usual rule of thumb is about 0.715 oz per $1 face, about 1% less.
Melt value is the floor
Melt value is what the metal in a coin is worth: its pure silver content times the spot price. A Mercury dime holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver, so at $60 an ounce its melt value is $4.34. The calculator above uses today's price instead.
That number is the floor. How close a common, worn Mercury dime sells to it depends on collector demand. A scarce date, a rare mint mark or a coin in high grade is priced as a collectible, starting from the floor and going up.
| Coin | Years | Metal | Weight | Pure silver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mercury dime | 1916–1945 | 90% silver, 10% copper | 2.50 g | 0.0723 oz |
The Mercury dime, properly the Winged Liberty Head dime, was struck from 1916 to 1945 in 90% silver. It was designed by Adolph Weinman, who also designed the Walking Liberty half dollar. Sharply struck coins whose reverse bands are fully separated are labeled Full Bands (FB) by graders and sell at a premium.
Is yours a valuable one? Check these first
Check the date, the mint mark and the condition against this list. If your coin matches a key date or variety, have it looked at by a dealer who handles collector coins before you sell it for melt.
- 1916-D: The key: 264,000 struck. Fakes add a D to a real 1916; a genuine 1916-D mint mark leans with its top to the right.
- 1921 and 1921-D: 1,230,000 and 1,080,000 struck, the lowest after the 1916-D.
- 1926-S: 1,520,000 struck and usually weakly struck, so sharp coins are scarce.
- 1942/1 and 1942/1-D: Overdates: part of a 1 shows under the 2. Valuable even worn, rare uncirculated.
- 1928-D, 1931-D, 1931-S: Slightly better dates. Small premium worn, larger in uncirculated grades.
Mintages and varieties from APMEX's Mercury dime key dates guide. For current collector prices by grade, check the PCGS Price Guide or the NGC Price Guide. Prices for key dates change often and depend heavily on grade.
What dealers typically pay
Dealers price common silver coins off the silver spot price, so the melt figure above is the number to anchor on. Some shops quote per coin, others per $1 of face value. Before you accept, put the offer into the Coin Offer Checker: it shows the metal value and where the offer sits against typical dealer pay. For a key date or a high-grade coin, ask for an offer on the coin as a collectible, not as silver.
Not sure it's silver?
The Is My Coin Silver? checker takes the denomination and year and tells you the metal, the silver content and the melt value. Selling a mix of coins? The silver coin melt value calculator adds up several types at once, and the junk silver calculator works from face value.
Where to sell
Compare coin dealers near you: what each one buys, and what recent customers say about the offers they got. If this coin is part of a larger collection, read how to sell a coin collection first.
Value pages for other coins
Questions
How much silver is in a Mercury dime?
A Mercury dime is 90% silver and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver, the same as a silver Roosevelt dime.
Which Mercury dimes are worth more than melt?
The 1916-D is the key, followed by the 1921, 1921-D, 1926-S and the 1942/1 overdates. Full Bands coins in uncirculated grades also bring premiums.
How can I tell if a 1916-D Mercury dime is real?
Many fakes add a D to a genuine 1916 dime. On a real 1916-D the mint mark slants with its top to the right; to be safe, sell or buy one only after PCGS or NGC certification.
Sources: APMEX, Mercury dime key dates · CoinWeek, silver content of U.S. coins · MetalCharts junk silver guide · U.S. Mint coin specifications (current clad coins) · Coinage Act of 1965. Updated 2026-10-09.