1931 Mercury Dime Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
The 1931 Mercury Dime holds a special place as the last issue before the two-year production gap of 1932–33. Guide estimates for regular business strikes range from about $7.16 in G4 to $441 in MS65, depending on the mint.
All three facilities — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco — produced dimes this year, so checking your mintmark is the first step.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1931 Mercury Dime
Want a quick read on what you have? Upload clear photos of both the front and back of your 1931 Mercury Dime, and our identifier can offer a preliminary take on which mint and version you're looking at.
This works best with good lighting and a steady shot — blurry phone pics make even experts squint.
1931 Mercury Dime Value
Upload both sides of your 1931 Mercury Dime.
Front Obverse
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Back Reverse
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Which 1931 Mercury Dime Versions Are Worth Money?
- Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco business strikes exist — the Denver mint version carries the highest guide value at MS65.
- Original Mint State surfaces with strong luster and minimal contact marks command the best prices across all three mints.
- Full Bands (FB) designation, reflecting fully separated fasces bands from a strong strike, can attract additional premiums beyond the regular MS65 figures.
- A Doubled Die Obverse variety has been reported for 1931 dimes; confirmed examples with clear doubling are worth investigating.
- As the final Mercury Dime production year before a two-year gap, all 1931 mints draw collector attention for completing date runs.
Step 1: Identify Your 1931 Mercury Dime Mint Mark and Version
Three mints struck 1931 dimes. Philadelphia coins carry no mintmark at all.
Denver pieces show a small "D" and San Francisco coins display an "S," both located on the lower left of the reverse, near the base of the fasces and just beside the word ONE.
Don't confuse the "AW" monogram on the obverse with a mintmark — those are designer Adolph Weinman's initials, not a West Point mark. Every 1931 Mercury Dime is struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighs about 2.5 grams, and measures 17.9 mm with a reeded edge.
The alloy is the same regardless of mint.
This date sits right at the end of the line before the U.S. Mint paused dime production entirely for 1932 and 1933. That gap makes 1931 issues a natural bookend for collectors building date sets.
Step 2: Check Your 1931 Mercury Dime Grade
Start by examining Liberty's hair detail above and in front of the ear. On a well-worn coin, this area goes flat first, followed by the cap and wing feathers.
Flip it over and check the fasces — the horizontal bands and the vertical staves lose definition as the grade drops.
Luster matters as much as detail. A coin can show full design elements but still grade lower if it's been cleaned or has heavy contact marks.
Dull, washed-out surfaces usually signal a past cleaning even when the hair detail looks sharp.
Weak bands or soft peripheral lettering aren't always signs of circulation. Branch-mint strikes — especially from Denver and San Francisco — sometimes came off the press with mushy detail from worn or poorly prepared dies.
Use the comparison image to judge actual wear versus a soft original strike.
Full Bands (FB) is a separate designation that evaluates the separation of the central fasces bands. Different grading services may apply slightly different criteria, so an FB call from one service doesn't automatically transfer to another.
Step 3: Check 1931 Mercury Dime Value by Mint and Version
1931 Mercury Dime — No Mint Mark — Silver Circulation
The 1931 Philadelphia dime carries no mintmark. Look at both sides carefully under good light — the obverse is dated, and the reverse should be clean of any letter near the fasces base.
Guide estimates place this version at about $7.16 in G4 and around $189 in MS65. That MS65 figure covers a coin with original surfaces and minimal marks, but it does not include any Full Bands premium.
FB-designated examples are a separate tier, and no FB-specific price is inferred here from the regular MS65 value.
As the last Philadelphia dime before the 1932–33 production halt, this coin closes out a continuous run that collectors like to complete.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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Coin Identifier VF VF 20
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VF 25
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VF 30
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VF 35
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Coin Identifier XF XF 40
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XF 45
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Coin Identifier AU AU 50
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AU 53
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AU 55
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AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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—
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MS 69
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—
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MS 70
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—
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1931 Mercury Dime — D — Silver Circulation
The Denver issue shows a small "D" mintmark on the lower left reverse, beside the word ONE. It's easy to miss on worn coins, so use magnification if needed.
Guide estimates run from about $14 in G4 up to roughly $441 in MS65 — the highest regular-strike figure among the three 1931 mints. Denver strikes can be softly impressed, so don't mistake weak detail for heavy wear.
Genuine circulation shows flat spots on Liberty's hair and cap, not just fuzzy bands.
The MS65 estimate does not include a Full Bands premium. If your coin's central fasces bands are sharply separated all the way across, that's worth noting separately when you have it evaluated.
Coin Value Lookup is a handy starting point if you want to look up guides for other Mercury Dime dates or different series entirely.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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Coin Identifier
VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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Coin Identifier VF VF 20
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VF 25
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VF 30
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VF 35
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Coin Identifier XF XF 40
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XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
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AU 53
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Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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MS 69
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MS 70
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1931 Mercury Dime — S — Silver Circulation
San Francisco's contribution carries an "S" mintmark in the same lower-left reverse position. Guide estimates sit at about $8.50 in G4 and around $348 in MS65.
Like the Denver strikes, San Francisco coins sometimes show softer impressions from the factory. A coin with weak peripheral legends or slightly mushy bands may still be uncirculated — compare the high points on Liberty's portrait to a known worn example before assuming the worst.
The MS65 estimate here reflects standard surfaces without a Full Bands designation. FB examples carry their own market, and the regular guide value should not be read as including that premium.
This is the last San Francisco dime until 1934.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
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Coin Identifier FR FR 2
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Coin Identifier AG AG 3
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Coin Identifier G G 4
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Coin Identifier
G 6
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Coin Identifier VG VG 8
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Coin Identifier
VG 10
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Coin Identifier F F 12
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F 15
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Coin Identifier VF VF 20
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VF 25
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VF 30
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VF 35
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Coin Identifier XF XF 40
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Coin Identifier
XF 45
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Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
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Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
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MS 61
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MS 62
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MS 63
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MS 64
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MS 65
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MS 66
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MS 67
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MS 68
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MS 69
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MS 70
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1931 Mercury Dime Error List
1. 1931 Mercury Dime — Doubled Die Obverse
A Doubled Die Obverse has been reported for the 1931 dime. On a genuine doubled die, you'll see consistent separation or notching on the obverse lettering or design elements — the doubling repeats in the same direction across multiple features because it originated from a misaligned hub impression during die manufacture.
Compare your coin's obverse letters and date to a normal 1931 dime under the same lighting. Genuine doubling shows a distinct secondary image with depth, not a flat, shelf-like smear.
The common lookalike is machine doubling, which produces flat, shelflike distortion without the raised secondary profile of a true doubled die. Worn die contours and lighting reflections can also mimic doubling to the untrained eye.
No specific price range is adopted for this variety — value depends heavily on the visibility of the doubling, overall condition, and confirmation by a grading service. If you suspect you have one, professional evaluation is the right next step.
