1942 Mercury Dime grade

I got this from a pawn shop for $2.80. I’m not sure if it’s been dipped. What are your thoughts?

 

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Doesn’t matter if it’s been dipped or not. It’s a common date. The grade is not high enough to make a difference in price either. At $2,80 you hit a good deal. At today’s spot silver price the value should be around $6.00 just for the silver content.

 

It looks like high VF or low XF details. I does appear to be cleaned, but probably not dipped.

By the way, welcome to CoinTalk. Are you mostly collector of precious metals or numismatics?

 

VF-30

 

VF-30

 

I know the photos aren't too great but I thought it might be MS58. It's super shiny. I've been collecting my whole life and I'm into both numismatics and precious metals.

 

It's definitely been cleaned, and the wear suggests XF for me. Worth about melt value.... Everything is bullion nowadays!

 

These are better hopefully. The top coin is the 1942 dime. On the left is a brand new 2025 dime, and on the right is a over dipped 1943 mercury dime.

 

Both of the Mercury dimes have been cleaned. There is a difference between shiny and luster. Uncirculated coins are lustrous, cleaned coins are shiny. If you twirl the Roosevelt Dime you will see a "cartwheel" effect (a band of light spinning around). Cleaned coins don't have that look or it is not as noticeable depending on the degree to which it has been cleaned.

The red arrows are point to the "cartwheel" luster:

 

My local pawn shop would probably want $20 for it.

 

Thank you for your time and all your brilliant answers!