Mercury dime

Mercury (Winged Liberty) Dime

United States
Value	0.10 U.S. dollar
Mass	2.500 g
Diameter	17.91 mm (0.705 in)
Edge	118 reeds
Composition	90% Silver 10% Copper
Years of minting	1916–1945
Obverse
Design	A depiction of a young Liberty, with winged helmet
Designer	Adolph Weinman
Design date	1916
Reverse
Design	olive branch, fasces
Designer	Adolph Weinman
Design date	1916

The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin, struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman and also known as the Winged Liberty dime it gained its common name as the depiction of a young Liberty with a winged helmet was confused with the Roman god Mercury. Weinman used Elsie Stevens, the wife of lawyer and poet Wallace Stevens, as a model. On the reverse the coin depicts a fasces, the symbol of authority for Roman magistrates, and an olive branch.

By 1916, the dime, quarter, and half dollar designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber had been struck for 25 years, and could be replaced by the Treasury without the need for Congressional authorization. Mint officials were under the misapprehension that the designs had to be changed, and held a competition among three sculptors, in which Barber, who had now been in his position for 36 years, also took part. Weinman's designs for the dime and half dollar were selected.

Although the new coin's design was admired for its beauty, the Mint made modifications to it upon learning that vending machine manufacturers were having difficulties making the new dime work in their devices. An initial batch of coins was melted, and coins with a slightly modified design were struck. The coin continued to be minted until 1945, when the Treasury ordered that a new design, featuring recently-deceased president Franklin Roosevelt take its place.

Inception

Background

On September 26, 1890, the United States Congress passed an act:

The Director of the Mint shall have power, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to cause new designs or models of authorized emblems or devices to be prepared and adopted in the same manner as when new coins or devices are authorized, But no change in the design or die of any coin shall be made oftener than once in twenty-five years from and including the year of the first adoption of the design ... But the Director of the Mint shall nevertheless have power, with the approval of the Secretary of the Treasury, to engage temporarily the services of one or more artists, distinguished in their respective departments of art, who shall be paid for such service from the contingent appropriation for the mint at Philadelphia.

Mint Director Robert W. Woolley advocated for the end of the Barber coinage, though he may not have understood he did not have to replace them.

The Barber coinage had been introduced in 1892; similar dimes, quarters, and half dollars, all designed by Mint Chief Engraver Charles E. Barber. Their introduction had followed a design competition to replace the Seated Liberty coinage, which had been struck since the 1830s. The Mint had offered only a small prize to the winner, and all invited artists refused to submit entries. The competition was opened to the public, and the judging committee found no entry suitable. Mint Director Edward Leech responded to the failed competition by directing Barber to prepare new designs for the silver dime, quarter dollar, and half dollar, resulting in the Barber coinage, an issue which attracted considerable public dissatisfaction.

Beginning in 1905, successive presidential administrations had attempted to bring modern, beautiful designs to United States coins. With the four gold pieces, cent, and nickel redesigned by 1913, advocates of replacing the Barber coins when their minimum term expired in 1916 began to push for the change. As early as 1914, Victor David Brenner, designer of the Lincoln cent submitted unsolicited designs for the silver coins. He was told in response that Secretary of the Treasury William G. McAdoo was completely occupied with other matters.

In January 1915, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury William P. Malburn sent McAdoo a memorandum about the silver subsidiary coinage, "you will observe that the present silver half dollar, quarter, and dime were changed in 1892, and a new design may, therefore, be adopted in 1916. This can be done any time in the year." McAdoo wrote on the memorandum in reply, "Let the mint submit designs before we try anyone else." McAdoo's response was received by Acting Mint Director Frederic P. Dewey on March 14.

In April 1915, Robert W. Woolley took office as Mint Director. On April 14, he asked Philadelphia Mint Superintendent Adam Joyce to request Chief Engraver Barber, then in his 36th year in office, to prepare new designs. The same day, Malburn requested the Treasury Department's Solicitor to opine concerning the Mint view that it could strike new designs for the three denominations in 1916. On April 17, the Solicitor's Office responded that the Mint could change the designs. At the time, the Mint was intensively busy producing the Panama-Pacific commemorative series, and no action was immediately taken. In October, Barber was summoned to Washington to discuss coin designs with Woolley, though whether or not he had already prepared sketches for new coinage is uncertain.

On December 3, Woolley met with the Commission of Fine Arts. Woolley asked the Commission to view designs produced by the Mint's engraving department, Barber, then in his 36th year in office. Barber was present, to explain the coinage process to the Commission. Woolley asked that if they did not like the designs from the Mint, that they select sculptors to submit designs for the new pieces. It was Woolley's intent to have distinct designs for the dime, quarter and half dollar—previously, the three pieces had had similar designs. The director informed the Commission that as the existing coinage had been in use for twenty-five years, it would have to be changed—something which numismatic historian David Lange calls a "misinterpretation of the coinage laws.". The Commission disliked the designs from the Mint (submitted by Barber) and selected sculptors Adolph Weinman, Hermon MacNeil and Albin Polasek to submit proposed designs for the new coins. The sculptors could submit multiple designs. Although the Mint could decide to use a design on a denomination not intended by its designer, the designs were not fully interchangeable—an eagle had to appear on the reverse of the quarter and half dollar, but could not appear on the dime. Woolley hoped that each sculptor would be successful with one piece.

The design sketches were submitted in mid-February, and on February 23, the three sculptors met with Woolley in New York so the artists could present the designs to the Mint director and answer his questions. After discussions between Woolley and McAdoo, Weinman was notified on February 28 that five of his designs had been selected—for the dime and half dollar, and the reverse of the quarter. The same day, Woolley wrote to MacNeil to tell him he would design the quarter's obverse, and to Polasek to inform him of his lack of success. Members of the Commission persuaded Woolley that so much should not be entrusted to a single artist, and MacNeil was allowed to design both sides of the quarter, subject to his making modifications to his submission.

On March 3, the new coins were publicly announced, with the Treasury noting, "[d]esigns of these coins must be changed by law every twenty-five years and the present twenty-five year period ends with 1916." The press release indicated that the Treasury hoped production of the new coins would begin in about two months, once the designs were finalized The same day, Wooley wrote to Mint Engraver Barber, telling him that his designs were rejected, and that models from Weinman and MacNeil would arrive at the Philadelphia Mint not later than May 1. According to numismatic historian Walter Breen, Barber became "sullen and totally uncooperative". Numismatic historian David Lange notes that "numerous delays were encountered as the artists fine-tuned their models while simultaneously avoiding obstacles thrown in their path by Barber. While his observations regarding many aspects of practical coinage were quite accurate, they clearly could have been presented in a more constructive manner. In his book on Mercury dimes, Lange notes that Barber, by then aged 75, had been "compelled over the past ten years to participate in the systematic undoing of a lifetime's achievements"; he had to engrave coins made by other men which replaced his own designs.

Design

Weinman never disclosed the name of the model for the obverse; no person ever claimed to have been the model. It is widely believed, however, to have been based on a 1913 bust Weinman did of Elsie Stevens, wife of Wallace Stevens. A lawyer, Wallace Stevens later became famous as a poet, and his Wallace and Elsie Stevens rented an apartment from Weinman from 1909 to 1916. In a draft of his unpublished autobiography, Woolley states that Weinman refused to name the model, but told him it was the wife of a lawyer who lived above his Manhattan apartment. (Woolley, in a later version, omits the location, saying only that Weinman said it was the wife of a lawyer friend). Woolley recorded that Weinman told him that the model wore the top of an old pair of stockings to simulate the cap. In 1966, Holly Stevens, Wallace and Elsie's daughter, noted in her edition of her father's letters that Elsie Stevens had been the model for Weinman's dime and half dollar. Liberty's features also bear a resemblance to the face of Victory in Weinman's 1909 statuary group erected in Baltimore, the Union Soldiers and Sailors' Monument.

Weinman's dime shows Liberty with a wreath of tight curls, and wearing a traditional pileus, or Liberty cap. Weinman's depiction of the pileus as a winged cap has provoked comparisons with Roman Republic denarii, comparisons which art historian Cornelius Vermeule consider superficial. Weinman himself wrote that he considered the winged cap to symbolize "liberty of thought". The use of a winged cap quickly caused confusion with the winged Roman god, Mercury, and the piece quickly became known as the Mercury dime. Vermeule suggests that one reason for the use of wings was that Weinman, in common with many in the tradition of Augustus Saint Gaudens, whom Weinman had studied under, liked the effect of feathers done in relief. The reverse depicts the fasces of war and justice, contrasted with a large olive branch symbolizing peace. According to Breen, "Weinman's symbolic message in this design ... was clearly an updated 'Don't tread on me'". The lettering is in Roman style, and is made as discreet as possible. Weinman's monogram, AW, appears on the obverse, midway between the date and the letter Y in "LIBERTY". The mintmark was placed on the reverse, to the right of the O in "ONE DIME".

Preparations

After Weinman's success for the dime and half dollars, he visited the Mint to discuss conversion of his models to finished dies. On his first visit, he found Barber absent, but had a productive talk with longtime Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan. Other visits followed. On March 29, Woolley wrote to Superintendent Joyce, "Confidentially, the sculptors designing the new coins felt that on their last trip Mr. Morgan was much more cordial and cooperative than Mr. Barber was. I realize I am dealing with artistic temperaments at both ends."

A severe case of tonsillitis delayed Weinman's work, and caused him him to request an extension of the May 1 deadline. On May 29, Woolley wrote Weinman that the designs, both for the dime and half dollar, were accepted by the Mint.

As no Barber pieces of any of the three denominations had been struck in 1916, the pent-up demand was high. On June 24, Woolley wrote to Joyce:

The dime is all right. Please see that working dies for the three mints are made as rapidly as possible, in order that the coinage of the new dimes may be begun quickly. The demand for these coins is exceedingly great. Everyone to whom the coins have been shown here thinks they are beautiful. I beg to enjoin you not to pay out any of the new dimes until you have received special instructions from this office.

Two days later, however, work on dies was stopped when it was decided that the lettering was not distinct enough. This did not stop the Mint from authorizing payment to Weinman for his designs. On July 15, Woolley resigned as Mint director so he could work as publicity chairman of the Wilson reelection campaign; Fred H. Chaffin became acting director and the new Mint director, Friedrich Johannes Hugo von Engelken took office on September 1, 1916. In the meantime, the Mint had no alternative than to strike Barber coins of all three denominations by the million.

After the lettering problems were addressed, Acting Director Chafflin ordered production stopped of the Barber dimes on August 29, and ordered production started of the Mercury dime at Philadelphia the following day. Barber had prepared dies for the Denver and San Francisco mints, but they were still in transit. Small quantities of the new dime had been sent to vending machine and pay phone manufacturers; on September 6, two companies reported problems with the new dimes. AT&T complained that the new dimes were too thick and would not work in their phones. American Sales Machines (owned by Clarence W. Hobbs, whose complaints had delayed the Buffalo nickel) requested design changes so that its counterfeit detector could work. Von Engelken stopped production of the dime that day. The dime was not actually too thick, but the rim of the coin was striking too high, a defect known as a "fin". This had been an ongoing problem as Weinman's design was produced, but was thought to have been corrected. Von Engelken ordered production halted (it had actually not yet begun at the two branch mints). Striking of Barber dimes resumed. After an article quoting Joyce appeared in the press, Von Engelken instructed his staff not to speak to reporters.

The problems with the dime were a potential embarrassment with a presidential campaign underway. McAdoo enquired how long it would take to for another design to be struck; he was informed it would take months. Instead, Weinman prepared modified designs, separating the letters of "LIBERTY" slightly from the rim, and lowering the relief. McAdoo approved the revised design on September 28. These changes assuaged the concerns of both firms when the revised design was put into production. Von Engelken authorized Joyce to produce coinage dies on October 6, and the new coins were put into production. The earlier strikes, including pieces reclaimed from the testing companies, were melted, though one specimen is known.

Release

The Mercury dime was released into circulation October 30, 1916; on the same day production of the Barber dime finally ceased. Several newspapers complained that Weinman's monogram was too prominent on the obverse; according to The New York Times, the Treasury was considering removal. On November 4, Weinman enquired of Joyce whether any removal was contemplated; he received in reply compliments on his design and Joyce's statement that the Mint was not responsible for what appeared in print. Weinman wrote again, hoping to make changes in the dime, but was told that only an act of congress could change the design. Only 264,000 Mercury dimes were struck at Denver in 1916, as that mint was attempting to deal with the shortage of quarters; the 1916-D is the key date of the series.

Of the three circulating coins released in late 1916, the Mercury dime was particularly praised, and quantities sold were limited on the first day of issue. One Minneapolis newspaper dubbed it the "battle ax" or "golf" dime, reflecting a lack of knowledge concerning the fasces. A letter to the editor in the January 1917 The Numismatist appears to be the first numismatic reference referring to the coin by the moniker "Mercury". Numismatic historian David Lange traced the history of this misnomer,

This misattribution appeared almost immediately in the popular press, as writers imagined that the obviously female Liberty was actually a representation of Mercury, messenger to the Roman gods of mythology and quite certainly a male. It is popularly known as the Mercury Dime even today, despite noble but ill-fated attempts by some publications to reverse this error.

Chief Engraver Barber died on February 18, 1917, having served 37 years in office. His successor was the 72-year-old Morgan, who had served as assistant for Barber's entire tenure.

The dime was struck in substantial numbers until 1930, excepting 1921 to 1923, when an economic downturn caused few coins to be needed—no dimes were struck in 1923. With the onset of the Depression, mintages dropped again in 1930 and 1931, and then was suspended entirely in 1932 and 1933. The low mintage dates are not rare today as many were hoarded. With the economy beginning to pick up again, coinage resumed in 1934, and the dime was struck in substantial numbers each year through the end of the series.

Replacement

The death of President Franklin Roosevelt in April 1945 brought immediate calls for a coin to be issued with his image. As Roosevelt had been closely associated with the March of Dimes, and as the dime's design could be replaced without the need for congressional action as it had been struck for more than 25 years, the Treasury chose to put Roosevelt on the dime. Morgan's successor as chief engraver, John R. Sinnock, executed the design featuring Roosevelt which began to be coined at the start of 1946, ending the Mercury dime series.