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Got a roll of Mercury Dimes today at work. Anyone know how to clean money??
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Don't clean them
They're worth more uncleaned, no BS -
He is correct. I am a life member of the American Numismatic Assn and I can assure you that cleaning a coin is practically destroying it.
Very nice find. Mercs are a collector favorite.Comment
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Nice
"Time to nut up or shut up"
-Tallahassee
http://ultimatewarriorcollection.webs.com/
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So. . .for those of us that don't know what they are. . .what is the background story on these!
Happy for ya Bob. . . whatever they are!Comment
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Who the hell has a roll of Mercury dimes lying around??? Been saving up for something nice since the 30's??? Took em 80 years to get to $5. I thought I sucked at saving money!!! Maybe they've got a wallet full of Confederate dollars somewhere too.
It's not a doll it's an action figure.Comment
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Thanks Joe90. . . here are my next questions . . .why are they called "Mercury" dimes - AND. . . we don't use the terms nickels, dimes etc. A quarter is self-explanatory. . .but the coin just says DIME. . .and no number on it. . .so is that like 5 cents and a nickel is 10 cents. . .or what. . .I honestly don't have a clue. Strange it doesn't have a number on it!Comment
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AKA "Winged Liberty Head" dubbed "Mercury Dime" because of the winged hat she is wearing. From same sculptor as the Walking Liberty Half, which was recently released as Commemorative Dollars. The head resembles that of the Walking Liberty half. Dates range from 1916-1945. The ones in the teens with "D" for Denver mint or "S" for San Fancisco mint are the key ones and hardest to find. The 1916-D Being the rarest and most valuable and the 1942/ over 41 strike being a rare but common flaw that is also worth lots. Obverse "In God We Trust" almost looks like "In Cod We Trust". On the Reverse, you find an Axe and a Cherry Branch. The mint mark is between the "E" in one and the base of the branch. The Axe is banded with three doubled horizontal bands and one running diagonal down the handle. Very well struck examples are known as FSB or Fully Split Bands and they command top dollar. And as Mike and other have said. DO NOT CLEAN. It is highly detectable and will ruin the value. A minty example will have a sheen or reflection that spirals "or looks conical" as you move the coin back and forth in light. If it is cleaned, it will not do this. The reflection will simply go back and forth. Even toned/tarnished examples are valuable if in high grade. Chances are, either someone cashed them in because they were hard up, Someone died and their heir did not care about them and simply cashed them, or some kid raided their parent's or grandparents collection.
Now just as Mego is planted firmly in my brain, this stuff comes from memory folks. I have been a Coin collector since I was 10. Only been collecting Mego's for a little over 10 years. As a matter of fact, the first coins I bought were three Mercury Dimes from a Littleton Coin Company ad back in 1976 when I was 10. I remember it well, the feeling when they arrived. I just wish I had the $200 it cost then to invest in early American Draped Bust Dimes. Check current prices on those some time.
Nice snag.Last edited by hobub; Aug 19, '08, 8:40 PM.Comment
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Hobub great explaination.Comment
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A little lesson in American Coinage - subject - The Dime
Dime or ten cents, comes from original Term in Very early American Coinage as Disme. Which to the best of my recollection means 1/10.
As for the nickel, it too was once refered to as 1/2 Dime, or 1/2 Disme in the early 1790's. These were smaller than the dime and had a similar design. They were very easily lost due to their size. The original Draped Bust Dimes were larger than the ones of today (about the size of a Penny). The half dimes were about the size of the dimes of today. This changed about 1830 or so with the Capped Bust Dimes. The half dimes from that point until the shield nickel first appeared were smaller than any coin used today. They were very easily lost through holes in pockets so the government did away with them just after the civil war. These are commonly found with metal detectors today. The Seated Liberty half dimes are more common than the Capped Bust half dimes. The term "Nickel" came to be because of the alloy the sheld nickel was made from and to confuse you further, there were also coins at that time known as Three Cent Nickels which too were named for their alloy. These were commonly used to mail letters with and had a similarly designed head to that of the Indian Head Penny. Which some say was based on the sculptor "Longacre"'s daughter who supposedly posed for the coin. Likewise in the same time period there was also a three cent silver piece that was released and lived a short period for what reason? You guessed it. Size. This coin was even smaller than the half dime.
All American Coinage with a figure produced on it featured the fictional female figure of "Liberty" on the obverse until 1909 with the 100th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. They then put his figure on the Penny and it will reach it's own centennial in 2009. (which in my opinion would be a great year to put the wheat back on it even if for one year to commemorate the anniversary). The reason there were originally no presidents on it was due to Geo Washington. Early non standardized coinage in the late 1700's featured Washington's likeness, some of which, he even looked like ceasar. He strongly opposed anything that would liken him with a monarch or make him appear to be greater than any other man. GW is also the reason we have elections every 4 years and several other pro-representative republic or democratic rules we follow today. They took their liberty very seriously and several things we take for granted today as just tradition had very serious beginnings. They were very careful and very thoughtful about their reasoning and felt it very important to restrain self power. Likewise even with the use of presidents on coinage beginning in the 20th century, the subject must be dead.
Whew, you never know what junk someone holds in their head until you ask.
Last edited by hobub; Dec 30, '14, 4:37 PM.Comment
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Nice find, Was it a kid you got the roll from? When i worked at the HESS gas station back in 99 a young teen would pop in every now and then wanting to trade old silver dollars for paper money, When he came in i always got out my wallet to make the trade that way i kept the silver dollars instead of the gas station i have around 75 silver dollars from 1836 to 1927 all at a buck a pieceComment
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