Mercury Dimes Thinner Than Roosevelt Dimes?

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Author	Replies: 6 / Views: 4,407
barryg Pillar of the Community United States 5855 Posts	Posted 11/23/2011 4:07 pm All right, my understanding has always been that the size and weight of Winged Liberty ("Mercury ") dimes was the same as that of silver Roosevelt dimes. Well, I just got in two rolls of dimes that I ordered when silver dipped back down to $30 last week -- one roll of 50 circulated 1941 Mercury dimes and one roll of 50 BU 1954-D Roosevelt dimes. When I put the rolls side by side, the stack or Mercury dimes is noticeably shorter than the stack of Roosevelts. At first I thought I actually got a couple of extra Roosevelts in my order or, conversely, was shorted a couple of Mercuries, but I double-checked and there's definitely 50 or each. As I mentioned, the Roosevelt dimes are all BU and the Mercury dimes are all circulated. The Mercury dimes are all still perfectly legible and in generally good condition, though -- it's not like they are all worn down. So, the question is whether Mercury dimes are actually slightly thinner than Roosevelt dimes in general, or whether the cumulative slight wear on each dime could actually enough to be noticeable when looking at a stack of them. I tried weighing representative samples from each roll, btw, but they all weighed 2.5 grams apiece. My scale doesn't have any finer resolution than that. Expanded Digital U.S. Type Set Album \| Dansco 8100 (Lincon Cents) Album \| Digital Proof Type Set \| Digital U.S. Currency Type Set \| Foreign Bullion Coins Report this Post to the Staff

rjkingston Pillar of the Community United States 642 Posts	Posted 11/23/2011 4:31 pm They are generally the same width at minting. I've noticed this same thing. Even if they haven't 'lost weight' through years of circulation, the high points and rims are generally mashed down and you get a thinner coin over time. UNC Mercs to UNC Roosies should be the same though. Report this Post to the Staff
barryg Pillar of the Community United States 5855 Posts	Posted 11/23/2011 4:31 pm Thanks! Expanded Digital U.S. Type Set Album \| Dansco 8100 (Lincon Cents) Album \| Digital Proof Type Set \| Digital U.S. Currency Type Set \| Foreign Bullion Coins Report this Post to the Staff
allranger Pillar of the Community United States 1391 Posts	Posted 11/23/2011 4:35 pm " Roosevelt dimes are all BU and the Mercury dimes are all circulated." There's your answer right there so you were on the right track. That is why some people recommend getting quarters for 'junk' silver. The rim is probably where the wear is so it doesn't show as much on the design (which is what it is designed to do). That bit of wear over 50 coins will add up. Not a bad thing, just something to be aware of. It is also why people don't like to pay spot for circulated coins. Report this Post to the Staff
just carl Bedrock of the Community United States 20753 Posts	Posted 11/24/2011 09:32 am The Mint realized a long time ago that no one really knows how thick a coin is supposed to be so with Mercury dimes, they shaved off 1/1,000 of a layer prior to minting. All these years no one noticed until now but you really can't prove it. So the Mint wins again. Remember your comparing apples to oranges, so to speak. All worn, used, circulated coins have lost material. Silver coins, being soft, tend to loose more. Take a stack of old Cents and compare to a new roll of Cents. Same thing. The old ones, if circulated, are smaller than new ones. Report this Post to the Staff
Conder101 Bedrock of the Community United States 17884 Posts	Posted 11/24/2011 10:48 am You also have to remember that the thickness at the rims is also a function of the striking pressure. The higher the pressure the fuller the rims will be and the taller the stack of dimes will be because they rest on the rims. Report this Post to the Staff
cents1st Valued Member United States 59 Posts	Posted 11/26/2011 02:21 am In 1917 A. Weinman's notes say his design was troublesome for striking--acto C. Barber--and the ........"disk was 704/1000" struck to 52/1000".....the 1916's are in higher relief, the later dates--1940's-- will be 52/1000" thick. Report this Post to the Staff
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