The Legend of the Silver Mercury Dime minted from 1916 to 1945 begins at a rental unit in New York City in 1913. Adolf Weinman a sculptor captured the beauty of his tenant, Elsie Stevens while she sat for a portrait bust. Weinman was then selected by the US Mint to design the dime in 1916. It is said he used the bust of Stevens as his inspiration when designing Liberty for the obverse of the new dime. One look at the portrait of Stevens and one can see the stunning similarities in the profiles. Weinman added the winged cap to enhance the strength of Lady Liberty in thought. The reverse shows fasces and olive branch to represent war, justice and peace. The Mercury Dime is composed of .900 fine silver and is 17.91mm in diameter. The last three years of the Silver Mercury Dime 1943, 1944 and 1945 are encased in a sealed protective acrylic. A Certificate of Authenticity is included.
