1918 Mercury Dime

1918 Mercury dimes, representing the third year of the series, are common issues that are plentiful in all circulated grades though somewhat scarce in uncirculated grades. In fact, 1918 Mercury dimes can be purchased for a little more than bullion value in the lowest grades, making them perfectly affordable for coin collectors on a tight budget. Uncirculated specimens are significantly more difficult, as relatively few mint state specimens were saved, as was the case for most early 20th-century coinage.

A breakdown of the 1918 Mercury dimes, including their mintages, provides a clearer picture of how plentiful these coins originally were:

• 1918, 26,680,000 minted; $4

• 1918-D, 22,674,800; $4

• 1918-S, 19,300,000; $4

*Values are for coins in a grade of Good-4.

Of course, as is the case with all coins and most certainly silver coins, which have been melted in tremendous volume over the years, 1918 Mercury dimes are no longer as common as they once were. While no precise population numbers are known, it’s safe to say that there is only a fraction of these coins still available today, though still enough in the lowest grades to fulfill coin collector demand. For 1918 dimes in uncirculated grades, prepare to spend about $75 for a Philadelphia example in MS-60 to around $250 for Denver and San Francisco specimens in the same grade.