1945 Mercury Dime Value: Last Year of Issue

So, you’ve found a dime from 1945 and want to know its value? We’ve got you covered.

What is the 1945 Mercury dime value? What makes it pricier? And is it made of actual Mercury? Here is in this article.

Want to make sure what you have is an actual Mercury dime 1945? This coin identifier will analyze any collectible in a second!

1945 Mercury Dime Overview

This coin, sometimes called the 1945 Liberty dime, has a unique, Ancient Rome aesthetic.

Observe: Lady Liberty wearing a winged Phrygian cap. This winged cap represents freedom of thought and makes an allusion to Mercury. The Roman god wearing the same cap. The word "LIBERTY" encircles the portrait. The motto: "IN GOD WE TRUST” lies under Liberty’s chin. 

Reverse:  a fasces entangled with an olive branch. A symbol that the United States is prepared for the war and its desire for peace. It is accompanied with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM. The lettering UNITED STATES OF AMERICA encircles the fasces.

The 1945 dime is the last of its kind, as minting facilities stopped making more after 1945. It was the very last year of the issue.

Fun fact: The 1945 silver dime is the fifth most common variety of the Winged Liberty series. Circulated ones trade for about $7. However, the perfect piece with full split bands on the fasces on the reverse can go for $20,000!

Fragile Silver Content 

Gladly, Mercury dime’s name comes from the divine symbolism and not the content. The coin is mostly silver.

Silver is not a bad material, but be warned. The 1945 Mercury Head dime series is very fragile when worn on high areas, such as the helmet's wings and the facial details. 

Factors to 1945 Dime Value Today 

Several factors make a common piece a precious piece. How much is a 1945 dime worth? The following factors play a big role:

• Mint marks.

• Errors.

• Grading.

Mint Marks Value

A mint mark is a special letter, usually taking up the lower side of the coin. A mint mark signifies the place of minting. Be mindful of one mark though. 1945 dime W mint mark.

You might see the letter “W” where you usually expect a mark. The 1945 Mercury dime W mint mark doesn’t exist. It’s actually a monogram. It stands for Dolph A. Weinman, the piece’s designer. Therefore, the 1945 W mercury dime value depends on the “real” marks.

Some marks are rarer than the other, affecting the price.

As you can see, marks alone don’t make up the value. Three Mint facilities had similar mintages, so their pieces have similar value. 

Let’s look at each of them. Maybe there’s something special about one out of three varieties.

1945 Mercury Dime No Mint Mark Value

At first glance, it seems like an error. A coin without a mark? 

You see, Philadelphia is a cradle of American minting. That is why for a long time coins made there didn't even have mint marks. It was presumed that all coins came from the Philadelphia Mint. 

The 1945 dime no mint mark value is low. The piece is abundant. The 1945 mint was 159,130,000 pieces. Such coins can get you a few dollars at most. 

1945 D Dime Value

The “D” stands for Denver Mint, one of the oldest coin-minting places.

The Denver Mint made only 264,000 dimes for the first release of the 1916 series, but then they started making more. Therefore, the 1945 D Mercury dime value is also low. 

If you have a hard time finding the Mark, it's right under the olive branch. The mark is on the reverse side.

1945 S Mercury Dime Value

“S” stands for the San Francisco Mint facility. The 1945 mintage was about 41,920,000.

1945 S Mercury dime value is on par with its siblings, just a few dollars. Though it has a peculiar sub-variant.

1945 Micro S Mercury Dime Value

This piece features a tiny “S” mintmark instead of the larger “S” mintmark.

The 1945 Micro S dime is not exceptionally rare but still popular with collectors. The 1945-S dime is the only regular minted kind with a tiny letter. 

Circulated Micro S is worth between $5 and $32.50. Already more than “D” and “S” marks. Since 1945-S are usually poorly struck, an excellent-quality Micro might sell for as much as $2250. 

It was almost certainly an error to punch tiny letters, but a welcome one for the collectors.

1945 Liberty Dime 1945 Errors

Minting flaws are rare, but they make the piece itself more rare and so much more precious. 1945 dimes worth money either have to be perfect or totally opposite! With an error.

Off-Center Dime

Not all off-centered pieces look so… off-centered, but still, it's easy to identify this error.

Depending on the severity of the error, Mercury dimes 1916 1945 worth can rise to  $1000 or even more.

Error reason: when the planchet enters the striking chamber of the press, it should be centered. If it’s off — either partially or mostly outside the striking area — then the die only strikes part of the planchet. The result is an off-center bit.

Clipped Planchet

Clipped errors are the easiest to identify. A piece of the coin should be missing as if it was cut off.

Clipped pieces can go for more than $30.

Error reason: when coin blanks are punched from a metal sheet, they should be evenly spaced. If the sheet shifts or overlaps during the punching, the punch may cut into the edge of the sheet. The result is a clipped piece.

Dime Grading

The condition means everything to the collectors. They want to get the coins that have been well-preserved foremost. 

How do you determine a good coin? Gladly, there are gradings. The coins that have received the highest grades are determined to be the more desirable. Grading is always influenced by the state of the reverse design, particularly the olive branch and torch.

Grading is probably the biggest outlier when it comes to 1945 silver dime value.

1945 Mercury Dime Full Bands

Mercury dimes are very common, but there is always an exception.

A sharply struck coin, with all details perfectly preserved, is called “Full Bands”. Here the value can climb to $20,000.

How to identify 1945 dime full bands? Such pieces will have fully separated horizontal bands on the central part of the fasces.

Full Bands could only fit in the most valuable 1945 dime value chart.

1945 Liberty Dime Value

A coin’s value depends on the grading, the marks, and possible errors. 

How much is a 1945 Mercury dime worth? Let’s see the price table to find out.

Hopefully, the 1945 Mercury dime value chart can help you!

Now look at the coin in your hand. Do you know what kind it is? 

How to Inspect Your Collectible

Here’s a little inspection guide.

• Inspect fine details with a magnifying glass or 5x to 10x  jeweler's loupe (this is easy when you follow the guides).

• Examine inscriptions, faces, the rim and other design elements for evidence of doubling or cracks.

• Look for textural changes, smudges, or elevated blobs that do not match the design.

• Errors can exist on both sides, including the obverse, reverse, and rim as well.

Does this process seem hard for you? Or maybe you’re not sure of your prowess? There’s one more instrument that can help you in numismatic endeavors.

Use Coin ID Scanner

Coin ID Scanner is your friend and guide in the world of coins.

It has over 180 thousand coin entries in its database. 

Apart from casual but essential instruments, one may also want to employ digital assistants like Coin ID Scanner. 

• Scan your piece, and in just a second you’ll get a digital entry with the latest numismatic data.

• Compare your coin to real error examples with side-by-side visuals.

• Chat with an AI assistant that will gladly help you on your numismatic journey.

• Get the latest market data to know when to sell and when to save.

• Read countless guides and blog posts on anything, from coin identification tips to dealership advice.

Store your valuables in the digital collection to manage them at any time. Maybe you have a Mercury head dime collection 1916 to 1945? 

Related Coin Value Guides:

• 1967 American Dime Coin Value
• 1971 Eisenhower Dollar Coin Value
• 1983 Washington Quarters Coin Value
• 1936 Mercury Dime Coin Value
• The List of Current Coins Worth Money
• Most Valuable Error Coins in Circulation