The Mercury Dime is perhaps one of the most attractive pieces ever struck by a United States mint in the modern area, but much of the allure surrounding it is actually a misconception. The coin actually doesn’t depict Mercury, the Roman god of trade and commerce. In fact, the figure isn’t even supposed to be male.

Mercury Dimes depict Liberty’s persona as a goddess wearing a Phrygian cap with wings that were supposed to demonstrate the freedom of thought. The Phrygian cap has actually been a representation of freedom since antiquity, and has at times actually been termed a liberty cap. Similar coinage in American history dates back to at least 1793.

However, the figure certainly does look like that Roman deity, so she has suffered for years under the indignity of bearing someone else’s name. Nevertheless, the genius of Adolph A. Weinman’s design shines through. This figure lends her name to the correct nomenclature for the coin: Winged Liberty Head Dime. On the reverse of the coin, a fasces is paired with an olive branch that continues the war and peace symbolism that is so common on many American coins.

Many numismatists look for the bands that tie the fasces bundle together on the coin’s reverse. Better-struck coins generally have a noticeable separation between the bands. Known as the Full Split Bands, this distinction can certainly add something to the coin’s value. It also contributes to the coin’s already striking beauty.

It should probably be noted that although the symbol of the fasces can often be associated with the eponymous Fascist Movement, the symbol itself doesn’t share in the stigma that is cast upon many other relics of Axis leadership. It had already become popular in the United States long before Mussolini’s rise, and the first Mercury dimes were minted in 1916.

Some of the more rare designs include the 1916-D run, which only included 264,000 coins. The Denver Mint at that time was still minting quite a few of the previous Barber model dimes. There have been unscrupulous dealers, however, who have etched the 1916-D markings on other Mercury dimes, so buyers should beware.

Likewise, there was an overdate in 1942. These coins are relatively rare, and featured the date stamped over the previous 1941 dating. There is a less obvious overdate from the same year that was minted at Denver. These pieces are more rare coins that one might want to be on the lookout to find.

Of course, monetary value isn’t the only thing to note. Considering that the design is so iconic, and the fact that the sculptor Adolph A. Weinman studied under famed artist Augustus Saint-Gaudens, the addition of a Mercury Dime can bring up the artistic value of any collection that it joins.