1942 Mercury Dime Coin Value: How Much Is It Worth?
A 1942 Mercury Dime in ordinary circulated condition runs about $5.73 in Good-4, climbing to around $38–$41 in Mint State 65 depending on the mint, per USA Coin Book guide estimates. Proofs, overdates, and coins with fully separated fasces bands sit on a different level entirely.
The 1942/1 Philadelphia overdate alone can reach five figures in top grades.
Fast Way to Identify Your 1942 Mercury Dime
Upload clear photos of both the front and back of your 1942 dime, and our identifier can give you a preliminary read on which version you have. Mintmark location, date clarity, and overall condition all matter, so good lighting and a steady hand help.
This is not a substitute for professional authentication, but it is a solid starting point.
1942 Mercury Dime Value
Upload both sides of your 1942 Mercury Dime.
Front Obverse
Upload photo
Back Reverse
Upload photo
Which 1942 Mercury Dime Versions Are Worth Money?
- The 1942/1 Philadelphia overdate lists at about $379 in G-4 and roughly $18,710 in MS-65 — by far the biggest prize in this date.
- The 1942/1-D Denver overdate carries similar low-grade value at about $379 in G-4, with MS-65 estimates near $12,164.
- Philadelphia proof strikes are listed around $227 in PR-65 and were only made in limited numbers from 1936 to 1942.
- Full Bands examples of any mint can command premiums over regular Mint State coins, though FB pricing requires its own comparison.
- Error coins such as wrong planchets, off-center strikes, and clipped planchets are reported for this date and can add value depending on severity and condition.
Step 1: Identify Your 1942 Mercury Dime Mint Mark and Version
Three business-strike mints produced 1942 Mercury Dimes: Philadelphia (no mintmark), Denver (D), and San Francisco (S). The mintmark sits on the lower-left reverse, just to the left of the word ONE.
If you see no mintmark there, it is a Philadelphia coin.
The initials AW on the obverse near Liberty's neck are designer Adolph Weinman's monogram, not a mintmark. Every 1942 dime is struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighs about 2.5 grams, and measures 17.9 mm with a reeded edge.
Beyond the three regular mints, Philadelphia also struck proof coins and two overdate varieties exist: 1942/1 from Philadelphia and 1942/1 from Denver. The overdates are separate varieties with different date diagnostics, so do not confuse one for the other.
Step 2: Check Your 1942 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.
Then check the wing and cap on the obverse and the fasces bands on the reverse.
Luster, contact marks, and signs of cleaning all factor into a coin's grade. A coin can have weak bands or soft peripheral lettering from a weak strike rather than wear, especially on branch-mint pieces from Denver or San Francisco.
Full Bands (FB) is a separate strike designation, not a grade above Mint State. NGC evaluates central and outer band separation on the fasces to award it, and different grading services may apply slightly different criteria.
Use the comparison image to match your coin's wear pattern against known grade benchmarks.
Proof is a manufacturing category describing how the coin was struck, not a condition above uncirculated. A proof can still have hairlines or handling marks that lower its assigned grade.
Step 3: Check 1942 Mercury Dime Value by Mint and Version
1942 Mercury Dime — No Mint Mark — Silver Circulation
The Philadelphia issue carries no mintmark on the reverse. In circulated grades it tracks silver content closely — about $5.73 at G-4 per USA Coin Book.
In MS-65 the guide figure rises to around $41.
Full Bands coins trade at a premium over these regular Mint State numbers, but FB pricing is a separate comparison. Do not assume a regular MS-65 price includes FB quality.
This is the most common mint for 1942, and finding one in pocket change today would be unusual since silver dimes largely left circulation decades ago.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
—
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
—
Coin Identifier G G 4
—
Coin Identifier
G 6
—
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
—
Coin Identifier
VG 10
—
Coin Identifier F F 12
—
Coin Identifier
F 15
—
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
—
Coin Identifier
VF 25
—
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
—
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
—
Coin Identifier
XF 45
—
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
—
Coin Identifier
AU 53
—
Coin Identifier
AU 55
—
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
—
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
Coin Identifier
MS 68
Coin Identifier
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime — D — Silver Circulation
Look for the D mintmark on the lower-left reverse beside ONE. Guide values run about $5.73 at G-4 and roughly $38 at MS-65, just a touch below the Philadelphia and San Francisco issues in top grade.
Denver coins can be softly struck, particularly on the fasces bands, so do not mistake a mushy strike for heavy wear. Full Bands pieces from Denver tend to be scarcer than Philadelphia equivalents because of this strike characteristic.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
—
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
—
Coin Identifier G G 4
—
Coin Identifier
G 6
—
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
—
Coin Identifier
VG 10
—
Coin Identifier F F 12
—
Coin Identifier
F 15
—
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
—
Coin Identifier
VF 25
—
Coin Identifier
VF 30
—
Coin Identifier
VF 35
—
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
—
Coin Identifier
XF 45
—
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
—
Coin Identifier
AU 53
—
Coin Identifier
AU 55
—
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
—
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
Coin Identifier
MS 68
Coin Identifier
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime — S — Silver Circulation
The S mintmark identifies a San Francisco strike. Expect about $5.73 at G-4 and around $41 at MS-65 from the USA Coin Book guide.
Like Denver issues, San Francisco dimes sometimes show weaker strikes on the central bands. Distinguishing strike softness from actual wear is the main challenge when grading branch-mint Mercury Dimes.
A loupe and good lighting are your best friends here.
Coin Value Lookup is a useful place to look up values for other dates and denominations in the Mercury Dime series, especially if you are working through a whole collection.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
—
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
—
Coin Identifier G G 4
—
Coin Identifier
G 6
—
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
—
Coin Identifier
VG 10
—
Coin Identifier F F 12
—
Coin Identifier
F 15
—
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
—
Coin Identifier
VF 25
—
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
—
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
—
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
—
Coin Identifier
AU 55
—
Coin Identifier
AU 58
—
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
Coin Identifier
MS 68
Coin Identifier
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime — No Mint Mark — Silver Proof
Philadelphia struck proof Mercury Dimes from 1936 through 1942, making 1942 the final year of the series' proof production. These are brilliant silver proofs with deeply mirrored fields and sharp rims.
The USA Coin Book guide lists about $227 at PR-65. Proof quality is about the manufacturing method — specially prepared dies, polished planchets, multiple strikes — not a grade above Mint State.
A proof can still grade below 65 if it has hairlines, haze, or handling damage. Examine the fields under angled light; they should reflect like a mirror on a genuine proof.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PR PR 1
—
Coin Identifier
PR 2
—
Coin Identifier
PR 3
—
Coin Identifier
PR 4
—
Coin Identifier
PR 6
—
Coin Identifier
PR 8
—
Coin Identifier
PR 10
—
Coin Identifier
PR 12
—
Coin Identifier
PR 15
—
Coin Identifier
PR 20
—
Coin Identifier
PR 25
—
Coin Identifier
PR 30
—
Coin Identifier
PR 35
—
Coin Identifier
PR 40
—
Coin Identifier
PR 45
—
Coin Identifier
PR 50
—
Coin Identifier
PR 53
—
Coin Identifier
PR 55
—
Coin Identifier
PR 58
—
Coin Identifier
PR 60
Coin Identifier
PR 61
Coin Identifier
PR 62
Coin Identifier
PR 63
Coin Identifier
PR 64
Coin Identifier
PR 65
Coin Identifier
PR 66
Coin Identifier
PR 67
Coin Identifier
PR 68
Coin Identifier
PR 69
Coin Identifier
PR 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime — /1 P Overdate
The 1942/1 Philadelphia overdate is the headline variety for this year. A 1941-dated die was re-engraved with a 1942 date, leaving traces of the underlying 1 visible beneath the 2.
Under magnification you can see the remnant of the old digit.
USA Coin Book lists about $379 at G-4 and roughly $18,710 at MS-65. Even heavily worn examples carry a substantial premium because the variety is identifiable down to low grades.
The Philadelphia and Denver overdates have different die characteristics, so compare your coin against the correct attribution reference for the mint in question. Professional certification is strongly recommended for this variety given the values involved.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
—
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
Coin Identifier G G 4
Coin Identifier
G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
Coin Identifier
VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
Coin Identifier
MS 61
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
Coin Identifier
MS 67
Coin Identifier
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime — /1 D Overdate
Denver also produced a 1942/1 overdate, and it carries similar entry-level value: about $379 at G-4. In MS-65 the guide estimate is around $12,164, a bit below the Philadelphia overdate at the same grade.
The D mintmark confirms the Denver attribution, but the date area diagnostic differs from the Philadelphia overdate. Do not rely on a single reference image that covers both mints.
Look carefully at the base of the 2 in the date for remnants of the underlying 1. As with the Philadelphia overdate, third-party grading and attribution add confidence and liquidity when selling.
Range Grade
Price Auction Records Appraisal PO PO 1
—
Coin Identifier FR FR 2
—
Coin Identifier AG AG 3
—
Coin Identifier G G 4
Coin Identifier
G 6
Coin Identifier VG VG 8
Coin Identifier
VG 10
Coin Identifier F F 12
Coin Identifier
F 15
Coin Identifier VF VF 20
Coin Identifier
VF 25
Coin Identifier
VF 30
Coin Identifier
VF 35
Coin Identifier XF XF 40
Coin Identifier
XF 45
Coin Identifier AU AU 50
Coin Identifier
AU 53
Coin Identifier
AU 55
Coin Identifier
AU 58
Coin Identifier MS MS 60
—
Coin Identifier
MS 61
—
Coin Identifier
MS 62
Coin Identifier
MS 63
Coin Identifier
MS 64
Coin Identifier
MS 65
Coin Identifier
MS 66
—
—
—
MS 67
—
—
—
MS 68
—
—
—
MS 69
—
—
—
MS 70
—
—
—
1942 Mercury Dime Error List
1. 1942 Mercury Dime — Wrong Planchet / Off-Metal Strike
A wrong-planchet error means the coin was struck on a blank intended for a different denomination or even a different country's coinage. To identify one, compare your coin's weight, diameter, and edge to normal specs: 2.5 grams, 17.9 mm, reeded edge, 90% silver.
If the numbers are off and the design appears stretched, incomplete, or on an obviously different-colored metal, you may have a wrong-planchet strike. Value depends heavily on the specific planchet used, how complete the design is, and overall condition.
Watch out for lookalikes. Plating, corrosion, acid-treated surfaces, and deliberate alterations can mimic the wrong-metal appearance.
A coin that simply looks odd in color is not automatically struck on the wrong blank. Professional authentication is the safest path here.
2. 1942 Mercury Dime — Off-Center Strike
An off-center strike happens when the planchet is not seated properly between the dies. The result is a design that is shifted to one side, leaving a blank crescent on the opposite edge.
The more dramatic the shift, the more eye-catching the error. But for maximum collector interest the date should still be readable.
A 1942 dime struck 10% off-center with a visible date is far more desirable than one struck 50% off-center with the date missing entirely.
Do not confuse a clipped planchet, one-sided misalignment, or post-mint damage (someone sat on it) with a true off-center strike. Value depends on the percentage of displacement, date visibility, and condition.
No specific price range is established here; individual assessment is necessary.
3. 1942 Mercury Dime — Clipped Planchet
A clipped planchet error occurs when the blank is punched from strip metal that overlaps a previously punched hole, producing a coin with a missing curved, straight, or ragged section. The clip is present before striking, so the remaining design may show weakness opposite the missing area as metal failed to flow fully into the die.
Check the edge texture carefully. A genuine clip will show undisturbed metal flow at the boundary, while a filed notch or post-mint cut leaves tool marks or a sharp artificial edge.
Corrosion eating away an edge can also mimic a clip.
Value depends on the size and shape of the clip and the coin's overall condition. Larger clips that still preserve the date tend to attract more interest.
No specific price is established for this category on the 1942 dime.
4. 1942 Mercury Dime — Repunched Mintmark
A repunched mintmark (RPM) shows traces of a second, slightly offset impression of the mintmark letter. During production the mintmark was hand-punched into the working die, and sometimes the punch landed slightly off on the first attempt, leaving a ghost image.
Inspect the D or S mintmark under magnification, comparing it to a normal example at the same scale. You are looking for doubling, a shadow, or an extra serif that does not belong.
The remnant is part of the die, so it appears identically on every coin struck from that die.
Do not confuse machine doubling, die chips, or corrosion around the mintmark with a true RPM. Machine doubling tends to be flat and shelf-like, while an RPM shows a full, rounded second impression.
Value varies with the prominence of the repunching and the coin's grade.
5. 1942 Mercury Dime — Inverted S Mint Mark
The 1942-S inverted mintmark variety occurs when the S punch was placed upside-down into the working die. To spot it, compare the terminal shapes of the S — the curves at the top and bottom — against a correctly oriented 1942-S reference at the same magnification.
An inverted S swaps those terminals.
This is a punch-orientation variety, not a missing or repunched mintmark. The S is still present and in the correct location; it is simply flipped.
Subtle differences in the letter's serifs and curve proportions are the diagnostic clues.
Lookalikes include machine doubling, small die chips near the mintmark, and corrosion that distorts the letter shape. Value depends on the clarity of the inversion and the coin's condition, and professional attribution adds confidence for buyers.
