I picked this Mercury dime up from a dealer yesterday. I do not know the story behind this coin but someone REALLY had it in for this coin and if I had to guess, it was done as an act of revenge. Although the mintmark area has been thoroughly decimated, it still looks like the bottom of the “D” is visible (for comparison, I created an image with the mintmark area of a 1916 D that I downloaded from Coinpage.com). From a more practical standpoint, I also think it was a 1916 D because I doubt anyone would deal this much carnage to a coin worth less than $20. Does anyone think nick-a-date (or more appropriately nitric acid) would restore the mintmark? And before you comment about the dangers of using acid on coins, I have been a chemist for 20 years so I know all about lab safety. One last point is that I bought this coin at melt value (about 90 cents), so experimentation would not reduce the value of the coin any further.
I gotta be honest, it looks like an S to me. Check out the three olive branch leaves on the D vs the one which is scratched, they're different. It is a shame though...
It looks like a D to me. It's not wishful thinking, that's just what i see from that pic. I could be wrong though. I would need to see it in hand with a magnifying glass though to be certain Nothing out there will restore that kind of damage.
LOL MAYBE an SGS MS66 * - and they would definitely call it a D (though it's clearly an S) Nothing will restore it.
If that's a die crack extending up from the "D" in "Dime", and not just another gouge/scratch, it might be possible to search for the same die crack and see if it's on a "D" or an "S" dime.
After looking at the coin again, I have to agree that it is an S. Originally, I looked at an image of a 1917 S and the mintmark is larger and lower on the coin. I then pulled out my album and looked at my 1916 S and it has a mintmark in the same place and size as my mystery coin. Attached is a larger image of the minmark area and it does appear to have the curvature that is consistent with a Serif end to the S. Oh well, it still makes an interesting conversation piece. As for the possible die crack, no that is additional damage.
Someones spouse must have been pretty ****ed off to destroy a coin like that. Nighthawk, you could send it in th GEC for a MS 70 grading. They'll never fail to grade what they want.
An S is what it appears to be; don't notice the tilt/serif of the D. The story sounds great! maybe a side issue in an epic novel?
It could have been destroyed way back when it was only worth 10¢. I've done strange things as a kid with coins in the name of experimentation (I think I was proving that coins are malable).
I'm sure I destroyed a number of coins in my youth, however I don't think I was ever that vindictive to a coin.
looks rounded at top. so I say an S and definitely looks like someone took their anger out on it..lol
