1944 Liberty Dime
Liberty Dime Overview
The 1944 Liberty dime also called the Mercury dime is sought after by collectors and investors. This dime had a run of 39 years of production from the US mint. It was first minted in 1916, which means during the liberty dimes production it saw the United States go through the Great Depression and two world wars.
- A rare 1942 Mercury dime was created by the mint when preparing a die, the number '2' was punched over a '1' when the date was applied. Coins minted using this die show a clear 2 over 1 date. Few were released into circulation and when discovered collectors realized the scarcity and soon began the rise in value of the coin.
- Ord# ecd-13 type: mercury dime date: 1944 error: die cap -obv & rev-die clash? Rev grade:ms-66 notes: first 2 pics at 10x nikon macro-last 2 pics at 100- on microscope this is a super coin in ms66, it has to shiny rubs on either side of the y and l this i think happened in the die capping.
The Winged Liberty Dime aka the Mercury dime was designed by Adolph Weinman. The design was to depict the Roman god Mercury, but many got it confused with a young liberty. This is why many refer to this coin as the Liberty dime.
Designed by noted sculptor Adolph A. Weinman, the Winged Liberty Head dime is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful U.S. Coin designs ever produced. The composition (90 percent silver, 10 percent copper) and diameter (17.9 millimeters) of the 'Mercury' dime was unchanged from the Barber dime. CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1944 Mercury Dime value at an average of $2, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $30. The 1944 dime value is $1.83 for a coin that is circulated, priced close to its worth in silver value. Old Mercury dimes are widely collected however and there is potential of higher value. The majority of these silver dimes are heavily circulated and worn, lacking many of the original details.
The liberty dime is desired by collectors and investors due to its metal composition. It is composed of 90% silver with the remaining 10% being copper. Due to the silver content many times investors will buy these dimes in bulk just for silver.
With the rise of vending machines, there had to be a change in the design of the dime. It was known to have issues in vending machines. So the production of the liberty dime was stopped in 1945 in favor of a dime that didn’t cause issues. So the Treasury ordered a new design featuring President Franklin Roosevelt on the new dime.
History of the 1944 Liberty Dime
The 1944 issue, the second to last year of the series, had a fairly sizable mintage of over 343 million dimes. This was the largest of the liberty dimes production years, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t value to the liberty dime.
Three locations–Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco–struck dimes in 1944. Philadelphia struck by far the most: 231,410,000. This striking of the liberty dime was actually the most struck during its run. The dime is still pretty common, even in Brilliant Uncirculated form, though most coins show weak strikes thus not many are sent for grading.
A nice doubled-die obverse is known for this issue and is popular with collectors.
Denver struck 62,224,000 dimes this year, and this issue, like that of Philadelphia, is still fairly common in Mint State. Denver mintages generally have the strongest strike of any 1944 dime issue. An RPM (repunched mint mark) is known for this issue from Denver, but it’s less common thus making it popular with collectors.
Last is San Francisco, which minted 49,490,000 dimes. This issue is common in most grades, but when it comes to full-band grades it is more scarce. Several varieties are known, including the knob tail S and repunched mint marks, of the two the knob tail S is the most scarce.
Since the 1944 Liberty dime was struck before 1965, it belongs to the silver composition dimes, meaning that it contains 90% silver and 10% copper and has a diameter of 17.8 millimeters.
Want to know more about the Liberty Dime as well as other collectible US Dimes? Be sure to check out our Ultimate Guide to Collectible Dimes.
Image Source Flickr user Upupa4me
1944 Liberty Dime Silver
1944 Liberty Dime Full Band
1944 Liberty Dime Values
As stated above the 1944 Liberty dime was minted in great numbers but came with it was lower quality in its striking. Due to the heavy production, most coins show weak strikes thus not many are worth being sent for grading.
The key to finding a full band 1944 liberty dime would come from finding one that was uncirculated. Even if it was stuck with Full Bands it doesn’t take much circulation of the dime to wear it down.
1944 Liberty Dimes that display Full Bands are rare and worth much more than similar grade coins. If you think you have a liberty dime with full bands you will want to have it graded to get the official “Full Bands” designation. This requires a collector to send their coin in to get it certified if they want to claim this designation which makes it more valuable.
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- 1944-P Silver Mercury Dime
- Brilliant Uncirculated (BU)
Valuing the 1944 Liberty Dime
Despite their age, liberty dimes overall are still quite common, and 1944 is no exception to this. Still, a coin in the right condition can be worth a fair amount of money. Moreover, the mintage location can raise the value as well as the condition of the coin.
As with all coins composed largely of precious metals, the 1944 Liberty dime is worth more than face value simply in terms of its silver content. With the current price of silver at $17.20 per ounce, the melt value for this coin is around $1.20.
The 1944 Liberty dime’s numismatic value (its value to collectors) is higher than the melt value, even for lower grades. This is good news as people are readily buying it not only for its silver but its collectability.
Values rise only when the coin is in MS-55 condition, with examples retailing for $5. If you have a grade MS-65 liberty dime can still be had for around $27. The prices for this 1944 dime haven’t changed much over the years.
1944 Liberty Dimes that have the “Full Bands” grading designation are far more valuable coins.vMS-65 coins with Full Bands are valued at $80, which is more than double the value of the $27 for a non-designation example. No 1944 liberty dimes have been graded lower than MS-60 while receiving a “Full Bands” designation, based on third party grader NCG’s database.
Now you know more about the 1944 Liberty Dimes. If you are still learning about coin collecting and want to know more about collecting dimes then, check out our Ultimate Guide to Collectible Dimes.
The 1944 Mercury dimes have value as both numismatic coins and as silver bullion. Keep reading to learn more about these silver coins.
Specifications
Type: Mercury Dime
Year: 1944
Face Value: $0.10
Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
Silver Weight: .07234 oz.
Total Weight: 2.5 grams
Current Silver Bullion Value: $1.97
Mercury dimes are also known as Winged Liberty Head dimes. The US minted the 1944 dime with no mint mark and also the 1944 D dime and 1944 S dime. The mint mark, when present, can be found on the reverse side of the coin.
| Series | Location | Quantity Minted |
|---|---|---|
| 1944 | Philadelphia | 231,410,000 |
| 1944 D | Denver | 62,224,000 |
| 1944 S | San Francisco | 49,490,000 |
Value
This coin in circulated condition is worth at least its weight in silver. The silver melt value for this coin is $1.97 as of February 09, 2021. This melt value is calculated from the current silver spot price of $27.24 per ounce.
1944 Liberty Dime Coin Value
The 1944 dime with no mint mark is worth around $3 in very fine condition. In extremely fine condition the value is around $3.25. In uncirculated condition the price is around $6 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 65 can sell for around $25.
The 1944 D dime and the 1944 S dime have similar values. In very fine condition the value is around $3 and in extremely fine condition the value is around $3.25. In uncirculated condition the price is around $7 for coins with an MS 60 grade. Uncirculated coins with a grade of MS 65 can sell for around $30.
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Grading System
Very fine- Each of the diagonal bands are completely visible.
Extremely fine- There is only a small amount of wear on the diagonal bands. Liberty's braids and the hair before her ear are completely visible.
MS 60 uncirculated- There are no signs of wear. The coin has luster, but there may be a few stains, abrasions, or surface marks.
MS 65 gem uncirculated- There is strong luster and eye appeal. A few light contact marks may be present but they are barely noticeable.
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See also:
1945 Dime
1943 Dime
1942 Dime