The so-called Mercury Head dime is extremely popular with collectors, apparently not so much for its overall rarity (although high grade coins from certain dates are quite rare), but for its intrinsic beauty. The coin itself has no connection with the Roman god Mercury; the head on the front is actually that of Liberty. This version of Liberty, sporting a winged cap to represent freedom of thought, resembles classical depictions of Mercury, though, and the nickname "Mercury" dime has been applied since the early days of the coin's history. The Winged Head Liberty dime, as it may also be called, was first minted in 1916 to replace the Barber dime. It remained in production through 1945. The designer was Adolph Weinman, who also designed the Liberty Walking half dollar. For a small coin, the design of the Mercury dime is quite intricate. The winged Liberty appearing on the front of the coin is widely believed to be based on a bust the designer did of Elsie Kachel Stevens, the wife of well-known poet Wallace Stevens. The reverse of the coin displays Roman symbols of both war and peace. The center of the reverse side of the coin contains a Roman fasces (a bundle of sticks tied together to represent authority) topped by a battle ax to symbolize military might or readiness, and entwined with olive branches to signify the American desire for peace. The most desirable issues of the Mercury dime are those with what are known as full split bands. This means that the bands that hold together the fasces (three sets of two bands) are clear and completely separated from one another.
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