The United States Mint’s Best of the Mint Series commences tomorrow beginning at 12pm EST. The first release in the series, the Mint will continue its 250th anniversary celebrations with the 1916 Mercury Dime Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set.
Honoring America’s semiquincentennial, the Mint has put together a five-set series paying homage to United States coinage. The sets will feature a reissued gold coin along with companion silver medals depicting modern designs and reflecting the meaning of their gold counterparts.
The 1916 Mercury Dime Gold Coin takes its cue from the 2016 centennial version as it appears almost identical. Along with the image of Liberty facing left wearing a winged cap on the obverse are the inscriptions LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 1916. To commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary, the addition of the Liberty Bell privy mark with the number 250 is also visible. Struck in 24kt .999 fine gold, the dime features the fasces and the inscriptions UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and ONE DIME.
Struck in 1oz of .999 fine silver, the companion medal depicts a unique design that spans from obverse to reverse. According to the Mint, the design “recalls the period of 1916 through 1945 when the Mercury dime was in circulation, representing years of great change and upheaval, both foreign and domestic, for the United States.” The obverse showcases Winged Liberty in her armor and cap with a sword in her right hand. As the image moves to the reverse, there are rays jutting out from the tip of the sword, which are to represent hope at the end of conflict. The swirling waves on both sides symbolize the Dust Bowl as the Hooverville shacks on the reverse reflect upon the Great Depression. 1916-1945 is also inscribed along the top on the reverse.
The Philadelphia Mint is responsible for the striking of the silver medal while the mint at West Point struck the gold coin. The mintage limit for the first release is set at 30,000 while the initial household limit is set at just one.
The other four releases in the Best of the Mint Series will honor the 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter, the 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar, the 1804 Silver Dollar, and the 1907 St. Gaudens High Relief $20 Gold Coin.
Source: United States Mint