Mercury Dime Thoughts

Anytime you ask "is this a good price", it is all going to come down to condition. For $3, I think you would want to be getting coins in the high "almost uncirculated" (AU55-58) range at a minimum. For $12, you'd want to be getting a mid-grade "uncirculated" coin (MS62-63).

For worn common date Mercury dimes, you should probably not pay any more than the silver content is worth - about a buck currently.

Ken

You asked about rare Mercs , I just finished my rosies,mercs,barbers and on the Merc the only one I'm missing is 1921 , its expensive in any grade.All the rest youll easily get including 1916 , just not the D mint,thats the top dime for Mercs.
1932 and 1933 there were none made.

For Mercs you could hang out here and meet some members in the classified sections , youll get a better deal there.

Youll find the 1921 in a decent circulated grade is going to sting a bit too atlas580 ,affordable ones are unacceptable condition for a set,not out of reach but when you get used to $2 - $10 mercs and suddenly you are looking at 50 and up for a 21..stings a bit

If you want to collect a set of "average" condition mercuries (or roosevelts or washingtons, etc.), the best way is to go on ebay and buy them by the roll. After about 2-3 rolls, you should have the "easy" ones and at a pretty good price. But look at closed auctions to find out what the "going" price is (right now about $60 or so for a roll of mercs). Of course, the idea is to sell the ones you don't want back on ebay or on the Buy-Sell-Trade forum on this site.

Going prices for the common stuff you can't find easily in rolls is about $1.50 - $2 a shot if you don't want to spend hours looking and sniping.

Then you have to hunt down the "semi-keys". They are starting to get a little ridiculous in price.

For the Mercs, the 31-D and 26-S are two that have really gone up in price in the last couple of years. And next in line are the D-mints from the 20's and the 30-S. Too many people hoarding lower mintage coins.

The big question for the lower budget merc collectors club (of which I consider myself a member) is the 1921 and the 1921-D. They aren't ridiculously expensive - you can get the pair in G4'ish shape for less than $100. But it's the big question - I'm gonna pay $58 for a DIME!?

And I won't mention the 1916-D which will set you back $500-$900 in AG/G shape.

Good hunting! Great series to collect. One other thing which is cool is that you can still buy high quality uncirculated Mercuries for the price of a Happy Meal!

Crain300 , patience is the key , minimal outlay for the best available.
If you set out with sights aimed too high youll spend too much in a short space of time.
The whole point of collecting all the dimes for me was I wanted them to be worth more than I paid , I accomplished that easily,very easily.

Dont throw money at it hoping a collection will form itself out of money spent.Comprimise and patience , most of mine are XF to AU but that didnt happen by accident or good fortune.
Do the research and utilise your on line time seeking out the deals.

As time passes you might often aquire two the same or more , keep the best and trade the others..in time you wont be able to and keep a secondary set just for trading..but youll never trade , its about then youll know you got the bug man.

Congrats Crain300 , that was quick , you know of course its a long road youve embarked on , it starts with the mercs..problem there is there are two 1916 dimes , one is a Merc and one a Barber..so it takes you down the barber road which leads off into seated avenue..the rosies , so many dimes and all pretty affordable really.

You wont do much better than hanging out here Crain300 , participate in the classics forums , learn by watching others and reading older threads.Theres knowledge here that just doesn't come in a book mate , decades of collective knowledge from worldwide , its all right here , and if it isn't..just ask , it soon will be.
Youll learn how to grade coins , what the values are and why , which ones to look for,all good stuff mate.

If you simply must throw some more money at it , you will do a lot worse than getting a copy of the Red Book US coins.

Thats the ticket Keep the duffers until you get like 12 or 13 and sell them as an ounce silver,theyll sell first time saving you fees.
Post which years you still require and ill see what I can do for you , I've 3 or 4 rolls of assorted Mercs in good to au.