1938 Mercury Dime Value
The 1938 Mercury Dime carries a current retail range of about $2.70 to $26.50 across circulated and Mint State grades, and its metal content alone is worth $2.64 as of 2026-06-01 Exceptional, certified pieces regularly exceed the top of that range.
1938 Mercury Dime value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|---|
| Melt value floor(metal content, 2026-06-01) | $2.64 |
| Good (G-4) | $2.70 to $3.55 |
| Very Good (VG-8) | $2.70 to $3.70 |
| Fine (F-12) | $2.70 to $3.90 |
| Very Fine (VF-20) | $2.85 to $4.20 |
| Extremely Fine (XF-40) | $3.25 to $4.80 |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | $3.95 to $5.80 |
| Mint State (MS-60) | $4.95 to $7.25 |
| Choice Unc (MS-63) | $6.75 to $9.90 |
| Gem Unc (MS-65) | $18.00 to $26.50 |
Estimated retail range, updated 2026-06-13. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
What is the 1938 Mercury Dime selling for today?
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1938 Mercury Dime starts around $2.70. From there, value climbs with every grade step: a gem Mint State example (MS-65) can reach $26.50. Most coins found in old collections fall somewhere between Very Fine and About Uncirculated, the middle rows of the table above.
1938 Mercury Dime specifications
- Series
- Mercury Dime
- Year
- 1938
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- 22,190,000
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 2.5 g
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
- Edge
- Reeded
- Designer
- Adolph A. Weinman
- Silver content
- 0.07234 troy oz
Mintage figure: US Mint reports (approximate).
Reading a coin with no mint mark
Look for a letter and you will not find one. The 1938 Mercury Dime is a Philadelphia product, and the main mint did not sign its work at this time. On branch-mint examples the mark sits on the reverse, to the right of the fasces base, left of the E in ONE.
What makes the 1938 Mercury Dime valuable
The generous mintage of 22,190,000 keeps this date affordable. That availability is an asset for collectors: it is the textbook choice for owning the Mercury Dime design without a key-date price tag.
Every 1938 Mercury Dime contains 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver, currently worth $2.64. That intrinsic value is a hard floor under the price: no matter how worn the coin, the silver inside cannot be graded away.
Context adds the final layer to the 1938 Mercury Dime. The 1916-D, with just 264,000 pieces struck in Denver before dime production shifted to quarters, is the key that defines the series; even heavily worn examples command four figures. Owning this date means owning a piece of that story, and demand for the series as a whole sustains liquidity for every issue in it.
Summary: the 1938 Mercury Dime is valued between $2.70 and $26.50 as of 2026-06-13. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.