This rare mint state 1945 Mercury dime with no mint mark, from Philidelphia mint has the Lady Liberty with a winged cap takes center stage on the obverse of the 1945 dime. Her left-facing pose communicates a potent yet simple demeanor.
 
The word LIBERTY curves around the Lady’s head, and the motto “In God We Trust” appears on the front of her neck. Designer Weinman inscribed the mint year below the neck truncation line, while his initials (W over A) he inscribed above the year to the extreme right. 
 
The reverse of the 1945 mercury dime bears fasces at its core: a bundle of rods with a hatchet that modestly appears on the top left, a symbol of unity.
 
Bands bind the rods at the center, top, and bottom ends. A single band also runs around the vertical length of the fasces, and a branch of olive embraces the fasces to signify peace.
 
Along the coin’s edge are the inscriptions “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “ONE DIME”. A star separates the two on either side.
 
The Latin motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” appears on the right.
 
The metal composition of the 1945 dime is 90% silver and 10% copper. If we are speaking metal, this doesn’t make it a mercury dime. Besides, toxic mercury isn’t among the metals used for U.S. coinage.
 
So, why do they call it the mercury dime?
 
For Americans using the coin and numismatics interested in the coin market value at the time, the image of Lady Liberty imitated the Roman god Mercury. So, it came to be known as the mercury dime.
 
This is a rare mint state 1945 Mercury silver dime with Full Bands and no mint mark.