U.S. Mint’s Best of the Mint Mercury Dime Set Launches

The United States Mint launches its first Best of the Mint set today, adding another 250th anniversary product tied to one of the nation’s iconic coin designs. The Best of the Mint 1916 Mercury Dime Gold Coin and Silver Medal Set goes on sale at noon ET.

Priced at $810, the set celebrates the historic 1916 Mercury dime, also known as the Winged Liberty dime. The one-tenth-ounce, 24-karat gold coin faithfully reproduces Adolph A. Weinman’s original designs used from 1916 to 1945, with an added Liberty Bell privy mark bearing the numeral “250” in recognition of the nation’s Semiquincentennial. The accompanying silver medal features new complementary artwork inspired by the classic coin.

Both the 99.99% fine gold coin and 99.9% fine silver medal are housed together in a black U.S. Mint display case. Limited to 30,000 sets and carrying a one-per-household order limit for the first 24 hours, the set is positioned to sell out quickly.

The 2016 Gold Mercury Dime Sold Fast

For background, this gold Mercury dime is not the first from the Mint. In 2016, the Mint issued a version marking the coin’s 100th anniversary. It lasted 40 minutes before becoming unavailable, with reported sales of 122,510, or 98% of the possible 125,000. The total was later adjusted downward to about 116,000. Nearly 9,000 coins briefly returned for sale several months later before the Mint declared the issue sold out. Its final mintage was 124,885.

There are a few key differences aside from mintages. Gold averaged about $1,250 an ounce in 2016, compared with about $4,515 this morning, and the 2016 coin debuted at $205 with a household order limit of 10. During its short-lived return, the price was $200 and the limit was reduced to one. The 2016 coin also lacked anniversary elements, whereas this year’s issue includes a Liberty Bell “250” privy mark.

Additional differences are found in the design and finish. The 2016 reverse carried added inscriptions reading “AU 24K” and “1/10 oz.,” which detracted from the original Mercury dime design. The Mint also described the 2016 coin as having a business strike finish, compared with the uncirculated finish listed for the Semiquincentennial edition.

Semiquincentennial 2026 Best of the Mint Series

The U.S. Mint is issuing five Best of the Mint sets in 2026 as part of its Semiquincentennial program. Each set pairs a 24-karat gold coin based on a classic U.S. coin design with a newly designed silver medal featuring related artwork.

The lineup was first revealed in 2024, when the U.S. Mint announced the classic coin designs selected for the Best of the Mint series in honor of the 250th anniversary of U.S. independence. The scheduled releases are:

• 1916 Mercury dime — June 4
• 1916 Standing Liberty quarter — July 10
• 1916 Walking Liberty half dollar — August 6
• 1804 silver dollar — August 27
• 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief $20 gold coin — September 24

Release dates are subject to change.

Mercury Dime Set Designs and Specifications

The gold coin features Adolph A. Weinman’s classic imagery, first introduced on the dime more than a century ago. On the obverse, Liberty is shown in profile facing left, wearing a winged cap that symbolizes freedom of thought. Inscriptions include LIBERTY, IN GOD WE TRUST, and 1916. Weinman’s intertwined initials — a smaller “A” nested within a larger “W” — appear near the date, along with a Liberty Bell privy mark bearing the numeral “250.”

Weinman’s reverse design features a fasces — a bundle of rods bound together — symbolizing strength through unity. Accompanying it are a battle axe and olive branch, representing America’s military readiness and desire for peace. Inscriptions read UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, E PLURIBUS UNUM, and ONE DIME. The coin’s reverse also carries a “W” mint mark, denoting its production at the West Point Mint.

The one-ounce silver medal presents a continuous panoramic design across both the obverse and reverse, capturing the turbulent era of the Mercury dime. It depicts Liberty in both defensive and offensive stances, symbolizing America’s involvement in two World Wars. The design also includes rays emanating from Liberty’s sword — representing hope after conflict — along with Hooverville shacks for the Great Depression and swirling waves for the Dust Bowl. The inscription reads 1916 – 1945.

Specifications for the West Point-struck gold coin and Philadelphia-struck silver medal are as follows: