1942 Mercury Dime Value
Depending on how well it survived, a 1942 Mercury Dime brings anywhere from $2.70 to $26.50, and its metal content alone is worth $2.64 as of 2026-06-01 Where your coin lands depends on wear, strike and surface quality.
1942 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 2026-06-15. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
Current 1942 Mercury Dime value
In worn but collectible condition (Good-4), a 1942 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.
1942 Mercury Dime specifications
- Series
- Mercury Dime
- Year
- 1942
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- 205,410,000
- 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).
No mint mark? Here is why
Philadelphia struck the 1942 Mercury Dime, and Philadelphia coins of this period carry no mint mark at all. An empty space at the usual mint mark position (On the reverse, to the right of the fasces base, left of the E in ONE) confirms a Philadelphia strike, not a flaw.
What makes the 1942 Mercury Dime valuable
Every 1942 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.
At 205,410,000 struck, scarcity is not the story here. Condition is: well-preserved examples with original luster stand far above the worn majority.
Context adds the final layer to the 1942 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 1942 Mercury Dime is valued between $2.70 and $26.50 as of 2026-06-15. Estimates combine mintage rarity, key-date status and metal content; they are editorial guidance, not an offer to buy.