just getting started in the hobby - until now i've been cutting my teeth with Lincoln cents, Jefferson nickels, and Roosevelt dimes. the instant i saw the Mercury dime, i fell in love. here's my first Mercury dime, a 1929 D. thanks dad. -Steve
it's a good bug to have, IMO. i'm in love with the new coins of 1916 - it's a dangerous love affair for my wallet. full bands it is. the mint mark and E are possibly not fully made due to polishing. the blueing on the coin is beautiful. i'm just starting out in the hobby and have a great mentor, my father. this was a gift from him after i correctly graded it. i think he paid too much, but that's his business. -Steve
Wow, thats an awesome coin! Congrats! And I too have he Merc. Bug...But all of mine seem to be missing So, I'm in the process of getting more!
here's the back story on the coin. this coin was purchased in January from a shop that was closing. i was shown the coin last night and asked to grade it. i offered my opinion on the grade and then priced it based on that grade and availability. the buyer told me how much he had paid and i was very confused. i took it home with me and spent an hour examining it to see what was up with the coin - i couldn't understand why my initial grade was wrong. after several inspections, i decided that my initial grade was correct; the buyer paid too much. sadly, the buyer was my dad. since i was able to correctly grade it and explain the reasons, as reward, he gave me the coin. i am just starting to collect and it's amazing how much i have learned over the years by just tagging along with dad to coin shows over the years. i'll discuss the grades and the reasons for them shortly. -Steve
Mercury Dimes are fun and expensive to collect. I have also completed this set except for the overdates. I ran into a great deal when I bought my 16-d Merc. It was one of those "In the right place at the right time" deals. Sorry for the bad pics.
They arent allll THAT expensive. I've found somebody who will sell them to me all day long for melt price!
Kevin,that's a very nice find to have made.What are the prices like on the 1916D Mercury Dime? If you are collecting nickels,the 1916 16 over 16 overdate is extremely difficult to find.These turn up from time to time over here in New Zealand.I've never seen either this overdate nickel or a 1916D Mercury Dime. Aidan.
Nice coin! There's just something about those "little gems" that I can't resist. Maybe they just remind me of my childhood. Dave
they remind me of my grand dad's childhood it is a beautiful design and only works in silver - that would be an ugly broze or gold design. -Steve
as promised, here's the reasoning. my dad bought it as an MS-63. i used his 8x glass to look it over and while i was excited to have such a nice coin in my hands, i also knew i was being tested - my first test to see if i really knew anything about grading coins. dad's are like that some times. i am a bit of a harsh grader to start with and an MS-63 from me would mean the coin was damn near perfect. i moved the coin around under the light of the dining room fixture a few times and then decided that this coin was less than an MS, rather an AU-58. i quickly checked the Red Book and came up with a price of $35.00. i handed him the coin, told him the grade and stand firm price. he half smiled and nodded his head, looked at the coin with his glass and handed it back. he then said "AU-58, 35 bucks huh?" i said "Yeah, 35, no less." he told me what he paid and i was confused. he gave me the coin to take home and look at carefully. i spent an hour once i got home inspecting the coin. the reverse of the coin is flawless, save the die polishing on the E and mint mark. i couldn't figure out why he paid an MS-63 price unless i stopped using the 10x glass and switched to the 3x. the cabinent friction marks on the top edge of the wing, the top row of feathers, and braid dissappeared. this morning i called him up and asked him what the deal was - did i have it right - he missed the friction marks? he fessed up to looking at the coin rather quickly in poor light and thought he had an MS-63 in his hands. he then told me i had just learned a valuable lesson - that even a person who has been looking at coins for 40+ years sometimes makes a mistake. i gained a ton of respect for my dad during that conversation this morning and for being not only a great mentor, but also a loving father. i got a lesson in grading, a beautiful coin and a gift, and mad respect from my father. i tip my hat to you dad. -Steve
and thus the reason i'll never have a 16 D. my limit is $100 for the forseeable future, unless someone wants to trade an AU-50 1916 D for a Roland TB-303. price wise, it's a fair trade, but i need my 303. (synth geek speak) -Steve
Never say never Steve. I thought I would never have half the coins I now own, but, because of a few wise decisions and some help from my financial advisor, I'm ready for the King of Siam proof set to go to auction. lol.........j/k
