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The Winged Liberty Head Dime

Silver Coinage Redesign of 1916

The new designs that appeared on our nations silver coinage in 1916 marked the end of the last of the 19^th Century designs – the Barber series. It also marked the completion of former President Teddy Roosevelt’s initiative to beautify and modernize US coinage. He began by commissioning Augustus Saint-Guadens to redesign our gold coinage. Saint-Guadens’ Eagle and Double Eagle designs along with Bela Lyon Pratt’s Quarter and Half Eagle designs appeared in 1907 and 1908 respectively. The creation of the Victor D. Brenner’s Lincoln Cent followed in 1909 honoring our 16^th president on the 100^th anniversary of his birth. James Earle Fraser’s "Buffalo" Nickel followed in 1913 leaving only Charles Barber’s silver dime, quarter, and half-dollar as links to the 19^th Century. The Barber series however was protected by law, the Coinage Act of September 26, 1890 locked a coin’s design in for 25 years. The Barber series was safe until 1917. In 1915 the Secretary of the Treasury announced a competition for new designs for the dime, quarter, and half-dollar; each being unique, a major departure from earlier policy which used the same design on all silver coinage; and with a target date of "fiscal 1917" (July 1, 1916). Beginning in this issue with The Winged Liberty Head Dime and continued over the next two issues of the RCC Newsletter the new designs of 1916 will be profiled.

The Winged Liberty Head or "Mercury" dime as it is more commonly called is the product of a winning design submitted by Adolph Alexander Weinman in competition to replace the then current Barber design. Weinman was also the winning designer in the competition for the half-dollar with his Walking Liberty design. Weinman’s monogram style initials A over W appears on the obverse in the field to the right of Liberty’s neck.

The central device on the obverse, where the confusion over the coin’s name originates, is a representation of Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap, the Roman attribute of a freed slave. This was intended to symbolize Liberty or Freedom of Thought. Many people mistook Liberty for Mercury, messenger of the gods, from Roman Mythology.

Coupled with the Roman influences on the reverse, detailed later, one can see how this could have happened and may have even been subliminally intended. Weinman used Elsie Stevens as the model for the head of Liberty, which is partially superimposed over the word "LIBERTY" which in turn, runs along the rim. The remainder of the obverse design consists of the motto "In God We Trust" and the date.

The reverse design in addition to the statutory requirements "United States of America", "E Pluribus Unum", and the denomination "ONE DIME" depicts a Roman fasces. Walter Breen in his Encyclopedia gives an excellent interpretation of the fasces. The fasces consist of an executioner’s axe bound with a group of rods. In Roman terms this symbolized the states power to mercifully kill by the blade or to mercilessly kill by the rod. Breen states this was "clearly an updated ‘Don’t tread on me’: something like ‘The USA can instantly punish with any penalty up to and including death, therefore beware, enemies of liberty!’" On the eve of World War I, If this is the case is it not conceivable that "Mercury" on the obverse veiled as Liberty is the Roman messenger delivering the Roman message to the world? Whoa, wait a second before you criticize this thought, remember this coin supposedly symbolizes freedom of thought. The design is both artistic and mysterious making it interesting on many levels and gives the collector much to think about.

The series ran from 1916 through 1945 serving the needs of the nation through two World Wars and the Great Depression before it was replaced by the Roosevelt dime. The date run was not continuous as no dimes were minted bearing the dates 1922, 1932, or 1933. It was minted at all then current mints but not necessarily in the same year. The series contains three keys: the 1916 D, the 1921, and the 1921 D. There are also two overdate varieties which if included in the set would also rank as keys. They are the 1942/1 and the 1942/1 D. The 1945 S dime also has a "micro S" variety that is popular with collectors. The set is a challenge in any grade especially Mint State with full split bands on the fasces on the reverse. If you find this series interesting and feel up to the challenge may you enjoy many hours studying and searching for just the right coins for your set. Until next month and the Standing Liberty Quarter - Happy Collecting!