Rumors say that the designer made Liberty’s face based on Elsie Kachel Stevens’ portrait he made in 1913. MacNeil and Albin Polasek had to admit that Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ student did an excellent job and that the better one won. Weinman’s creativity outperformed the competition. Three designers gave their best to create the aesthetically best possible design for the new ten-cent coin with Lady Liberty on the obverse.Īdolph A. Therefore, you can find two different coins with the same date. Since the first Mercury dimes were released on October 30, 1916, the US Mint minted Barber dimes by that date. 1940 Mercury dime valueĪfter 25 years, Barber dimes went to history, and it was time for a new coin type. However, the 1940 dime value increases with higher preservation levels, particularly for pieces with Full Bands. Since these coins are made of silver, you can expect they are worth something, regardless of their look and condition. The series ended in 1945 when the Roosevelt dimes appeared. Sculptor Adolph Weinman created Winged Liberty Head dime in 1916, one of the most popular American coins ever.
