The Mercury Dime__Story
The Mercury Dime, often referred to as the Winged Liberty Head Dime, was minted from 1916-1945. The image on the front is often thought to be the Roman god, Mercury, but is, in fact, a portrait of young Liberty wearing a hat similar to a Phrygian cap or a pileus, which are both associated with liberty and freedom.
The coin's designer, Adolph Weinman, added the wings to the cap to represent "liberty of thought." The back of the coin depicts a fasces, a bundle of rods, which in Etruscan and Roman cultures represented the power of the magistrate. In 1946 it was replaced by the Franklin D. Roosevelt commemorative dime, introduced only one short year after his passing.
The coin's designer, Adolph Weinman, added the wings to the cap to represent "liberty of thought." The back of the coin depicts a fasces, a bundle of rods, which in Etruscan and Roman cultures represented the power of the magistrate. In 1946 it was replaced by the Franklin D. Roosevelt commemorative dime, introduced only one short year after his passing.