How Much is an 1916 Dime Worth (Price Chart)

Silver dimes always provoked great interest among collectors, particularly pieces minted in 1916 when the US Mint produced two different series. This year was the last year for Barber dimes and the starting year for Mercury dimes.

These two series had five different coin combinations, depending on the mint mark. Although their circulation was significant, some coins are scarce nowadays. You should pay attention to the mint mark on the desired piece since it most affects the 1916 dime value.

 

1916 Dime History

1916 Barber dime

1916 Barber dime
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Barber dime was the American Mint chief engraver Charles E. Barber’s original design. This coin was in circulation from 1892 to 1916, when the redesigned Mercury dime appeared.

1916 Barber dime

Location Year Minted Value
Philadelphia 1916 18,490,000 $5
San Francisco 1916 S 5,820,000 $5
Total / 24,310,000 /

This design has Lady Liberty’s image on the obverse. Below her profile is the date of minting, with the inscription the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around her head.

You can see the ONE DIME mark framed with a laurel wreath on the reverse. Since there was not enough space on the coin for the standard phrase IN GOD WE TRUST, it was left out.

1916 Mercury dime

1916 Mercury dime

Mercury dime was a design by Adolf A. Weinman. This coin was also called the Winged Liberty head dime because the Lady Liberty winged hat reminded the Roman god Mercury. This coin was in circulation from 1916 to 1945.

1916 Mercury dime

Location Year Minted Value
Philadelphia 1916 22,180,000 $5
San Francisco 1916 S 10,450,000 $6
Denver 1916 D 264,000 $1,000
Total / 32,894,000 /

The simple design on the obverse has a Lady Liberty relief turned to the left. Above her head is the inscription LIBERTY, and below her chin is the minting date.

The reverse design shows battle axes and a sticks bundle as a unity symbol. In addition to the denomination ONE DIME and the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, there is also the Latin saying E PLURIBUS UNUM.

 

1916 Dime Types

1916 Dime Types
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As I have already mentioned, 1916 was a specific year for dimes since two types were in circulation.

1916 Dimes

Face value $0.10 (10 cents)
Compound 90% silver and 10% copper
Coin weight 0.08037 troy ounces (2.5 g)
Silver weight 0.07234 troy ounces (2.25 g)
Coin diameter 0.7051 inches (17.91 mm)
Coin thickness 0.0768 inches (1.95 mm)
Shape Round
Edge Reeded

Two mints produced Barber dime, including those in Philadelphia and San Francisco. On the other side, three mints produced Mercury dime, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver.

1916 dimes

The Philadelphia mint produced both Barber and Mercury dimes in 1916. As usual, none of 18,490,000 Barber and 22,180,000 Mercury dimes minted doesn’t have the mint mark.

1916 Dime value*

   Barber dime Mercury dime
Quality 1916 1916 S 1916 1916 S 1916 D
Good $4 $4 $3.6 $4.2 $1,110
Very good $4.4 $4.4 $5.8 $6.1 $1,670
Fine $5 $5 $7 $9.7 $2,890
Very fine $8.9 $8.9 $8.3 $14 $4,545
Extra fine $24 $24 $14 $23 $6,910
AU $82 $82 $27 $27 $10,250
MS 60 $118 $118 $39 $47 $14,600
MS 65 $251 $251 $132 $240 $31,000

*by USA Coin book

Most of these coins are not rare, and you can find them at an affordable price. However, the MS 67 rating Barber dime price can reach almost $2,400, while the Mercury dime with the same rating is worth a little less, typically $1,030.

1916 S dimes

1916 S dimes
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The San Francisco mint also produced both Barber and Mercury dimes in 1916. Although the minting quantity was more modest than the Philadelphia mint, it was still not a low coin’s number. This year 5,820,000 S Barber dimes and 10,450,000 S Mercury dimes were minted there.

1916 Dime value*

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1916 Barber $4 $6 $25 $75
1916 S Barber $4 $6 $25 $75
1916 Mercury $4 $7 $15 $25
1916 S Mercury $4 $9 $20 $25
1916 D Mercury $1,000 $2,600 $6,000 $9,000

*by JM Bullion

These coin quantities mean that you can find them at a reasonable price on the coin market today. The most expensive 1916 S MS 67 Barber dime is worth $8,600. On the other hand, you need to pay $1,720 for the 1916 S MS 67 Mercury dime.

1916 D dimes

1916 D dimes

The Denver mint provided only Mercury dimes this year. Since only about 250,000 coins were minted, it was the rarest coin in the series and the most desirable piece for collectors.

1916 Dime value*

Year Quality
Good Fine Extra fine Uncirculated
1916 Barber $2.8 $3.3 $20 $82
1916 S Barber $2.8 $4 $20 $65
1916 Mercury $2 $4 $9 $37
1916 S Mercury $2 $9 $21 $38
1916 D Mercury $735 $1,750 Rare Rare

*by CoinStudy

Assuming you are lucky enough to find this coin, you can expect up to $42,000 for it, depending on the condition.

 

1916 Dime Grading

1916 Dime Grading

As you can presume, collectors prefer picking out uncirculated coins as the most desirable for any collection. Remember that it is crucial to look for the coin condition assessment before buying or selling one.

1916 Dime value*

  Barber dime Mercury dime
Quality 1916 1916 S 1916 1916 D 1916 S
Good $3.3 $3.3 $4 $903 $4.7
Very good $3.8 $3.8 $6 $1,615 $6.7
Fine $4.7 $5.7 $7 $2,375 $11.5
Very fine $9.5 $9.5 $8.5 $3,800 $14.3
Extra fine $23.7 $25.7 $13.3 $5,700 $25.7
Uncirculated $62 $71 $33 $11,400 $38
BU $95 $105 $95 $28,500 $214
BU with full bands $595 $880 $171 $47,500 $665

*by Hobbizine

The best option is to have your coin professionally evaluated, but it is also possible to roughly determine its grade on your own.

1916 Dime value*

  Barber dime Mercury dime
Quality 1916 1916 S 1916 1916 D 1916 S
Good $2 $2 $2 $800 $2
Fine $5 $5 $2 $2,000 $2
Very fine $15 $20 $3.2 $3,450 $2
Extra fine $30 $40 $10 $4,025 $20
AU $40 $65 $35 $8,625 $35
MS 63 $160 $140 / / /
MS 63 with full bands / / $53 $14,950 $69
MS 65 $480 $400 / / /

*by Coin HelpU

Uncirculated – The coin with this rating was never in circulation and thus didn’t incur any damage. There are no signs of wear on its surface, and you can notice the original luster and refined relief details. The letters in the written inscriptions are always clear and legible.

1916 Barber dime value*

Quality 1916 1916 S
Good $5 to $6 $5.06 to $6
Very good $5.5 to $6.6 $5.4 to $6.6
Fine $6.7 to $10.5 $6.75 to $10.5
Very fine $13.5 to $24.3 $13.5 to $24.3
Extra fine $29.7 to $48.6 $29.7 to $48.6
AU $68 to $108 $68 to $108
MS 60 $130 to $156 $130 to $156
MS 61 $136 to $162 $136 to $162
MS 62 $150 to $172 $150 to $172
MS 63 $176 to $208 $176 to $208
MS 64 $221 to $247 $254 to $280
MS 65 $364 to $442 $429 to $507
MS 66 $618 to $910 $1,020 to $1,220
MS 67 $1,880 to $2,380 $7,500 to $8,620

*by Greysheet

Extra fine – These coins have a slight sign of wear, which shows that they have been in circulation for a short time. Prominent design’s parts evince a limited leveling. However, despite the signs of wear, all the relief details are still present, and all the phrases on the surface are clear and legible.

Fine – Dimes with this rating were in circulation for a long time, and scratches and damage are visible on the entire coin’s surface. You can see that design details on the relief, like hair strands or oak leaves, are a bit flattened. Besides, the letters are faded and less legible.

1916 Mercury dime value*

Quality 1916 1916 D 1916 S
Good $4 to $5.7 $1,230 to $1,720 $4 to $5.3
Very good $6.7 to $8.5 $1,800 to $2,440 $4.7 to $8
Fine $7.4 to $9 $3,120 to $4,020 $9.6 to $12.9
Very fine $8 to $11 $4,250 to $6,040 $14.8 to $25.9
Extra fine $9.8 to $14.6 $6,000 to $8,620 $24.3 to $29.2
AU $16.2 to $42.1 $9,000 to $13,800 $25.6 to $48.6
MS 60 $40.5 to $48.5 $12,900 to $14,800 $47.2 to $57
MS 61 $43 to $52 $13,200 to $15,200 $54 to $65
MS 62 $46 to $55 $13,500 to $15,500 $65 to $78
MS 63 $101 to $122 $16,200 to $18,600 $101 to $122
MS 64 $115 to $133 $19,900 to $22,900 $156 to $187
MS 65 $162 to $195 $30,000 to $34,500 $292 to $336
MS 66 $286 to $329 $33,600 to $42,000 $390 to $448
MS 67 $910 to $1,030 / $1,500 to $1,720

*by Greysheet

Good – This coin’s condition shows that it was in circulation for many years, and you can notice visible signs of damage on the surface. Design parts miss from the relief, and you can spot that only the outlines are visible. The letters are typically worn out and only partially visible.

 

Summary

Depending on their condition, both 1916 dime types have some value on the coin market. Accordingly, their values vary from a few dollars to over $40,000. Even coins in the worse grade will be worth some money, thanks to the silver they contain.

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