The 1925P Merc Dime. Question about it.

Fairlaneman · February 20, 2003 10:09PM

Is this just me or does every 1925P Merc Dime have some small indentations on her neck. A 66FB example I just saw on a Web Site had these so I started checking other places that had 25P mercs you could view and everyone of the examples appeared to have some indentations on her neck. The three places I checked this morning were the Whitlow and Teaparty Sites plus the Joshua Merc Dime Set. Pretty good references if you ask me.

Hey if anyone has a example of this date without small indentations on her neck please put up a scan if possible. BTW my coin has these indentations also.

Thanks Folks.

Curious Ken.

grip · February 20, 2003 11:57PM

Ken
Intresting,I dont have one to look at,but im going to see what W Breen's has to say,if anything

.Al

DIMEMAN · February 21, 2003 12:19AM

Ken,

I'll try to remember to look the next time I go to the bank.

Jon

remumc · February 21, 2003 1:28AM

Hi Ken,

I just happen to have mine with me at work today because I'm sending it in to PCGS today with 7 other raw Mercs. Mine has a very small "dent" below the jaw line about 1/3 of the way across the neck from the front. Is this what you are speaking of? Mine should go MS63FB.

Regards,

Wayne

a2labmom · February 21, 2003 1:57AM

Indentations in the neck, hmmmm...seen any vampires lately?

I'll check when I get home to see what I have and report back.

python1 · February 21, 2003 2:34AM

I will check mine out later tonight, and get back with you, but looking at my pics online, it appears that there is a small indention on the neck. Hmmmmm interesting.

izzy452 · February 21, 2003 3:29AM

1925 was a good year for lady liberty, its a hickie.

Walt

Aaron04 · February 21, 2003 4:08AM

I had one a few days ago ( PCGS MSFB ) but I sent it to Don ( aka quattrocoins ) maybe he can comment when he gets it in a few days.I think I remember seeing some kind of marks on it like you mentioned.

FinallyHere · February 21, 2003 5:38AM

Fairlaneman,

This is an interesting observation on your part and, while I feel as though I know a great deal about Mercury dimes, I had to check the 1925's I have in stock, which amounts to three pieces total. 2 MS65FB, one of which is a piece of crap for the grade, and a new and very nice MS66FB...all three PCGS. Having examined all three I will share this with you: 1 MS65FB has no evidence of the "indentations" in her neck. 1 MS65FB shows 1 distinct indentation and virtually no evidence of the other. 1 MS66FB does show two indentations in her neck per your reference. Now, this date is without a doubt the toughest P mint issue in Gem full bands to be sure....regular issue. These indentations, for lack of a better term, are extremely minute and shallow for the most part...and in all honesty I have no real clue as to what these indentations are, nor have I paid any attention to this with respect to past examples of this date I have sold....and have no had time to do any homework with reference material.

This is an interesting observation and thanks for bringing it to light. Should you find out exactly what this is, let us all now!

Mike Printz
My site

python1 · February 21, 2003 7:04AM

Hello Mike...glad to see you post here, you have some very nice dimes....

Anyway, Ken, I checked my 25 and sure enough, there are two very small indents between the IN GOD and her chin, just at the front of the neck, but like Mike said, very very small and shallow. You have a very good attention to detail!

Fairlaneman · February 21, 2003 9:19AM

Hey Guys and Gals thanks for the information. I really thought I was going wacko on this but it appears that the small marks (indentations) are real common on this date. I'm sort of wondering if the coins that were actually saved were struck from rusted dies. Not severly rusted dies but dies that did acquire a small amount of rust. This to me would explain the marks on the Little Lady. For sure they are not Bag Marks or Circulation Marks so some other explanation has to be found for them. I have seen no other date that displays this charteristic like the 25P does.

Hey Mike thanks for chimimg in on this. Actually it was your dime on the Web Site that got me thinking about this again.

Ken

grip · February 21, 2003 10:00AM

Ken
I would think if the dies were defected/rusted all the indentations would be in the same place,and show with no breaks in luster,as we know bag marks and die defects are very different,same goes for planchet flaws .I wonder how many dies were used for this date?.Al

Fairlaneman · February 21, 2003 11:32AM

AL I am thinking there were several die pairs and only the obverse die was affected by rusting. I checked every 25P that has a picture in the Registry and they all seem to show the indentations. Dennis's 25P seemes to be the cleanest of the bunch on her neck but he did say some marks were in the field. Also all of the shown dimes in the registry show olive branch loss of detail like you would find on mercs from 1926 onward. The Whitlow dime, which is a 66FB coin, and the Teaparty dime, which is a 65FB coin, show no loss of detail on the olive branches but both seem to have the flaws that are being talked about.

The only other thing I can think of is that three people are generally thought to be responsible for saving the majority of early Mercs that are now in collectors hands. If this is so I would think they would have put the rolls away early in the year and maybe this explains why this date shows basically the same striking characteristics through out the remaining population.

Sure would be fun to get a bunch of this date together and just compare them side by side.

Ken

remumc · February 21, 2003 2:17PM

Ken, are the indentations on the neck, or in the field in front of the neck? Mine are on the neck.

Mike, glad to see you here and welcome! I really like the 35-D I just received from you! Please join us here as you have a chance, I like your "eye"!

Regards,

Wayne

Fairlaneman · February 21, 2003 9:56PM

Wayne the place that I have really noticed the marks is on the neck which is one of the main focal points on the dime for me. I have found that if a clean neck with booming luster is present the dime is usually a nice piece. Unfortunately not alot of 25P's are available to compare but all that I have owned seem to have these marks. Maybe Tim could comment if he still has the one I sold him. I believe it had the marks also.

Ken

grip · February 22, 2003 12:24AM

Ken
Do you have a scan of one to post?Also do you think the marks would be visable on XF's and AU's? A better chance of rounding up that grade than looking for BU's ..say about 10 to compare .Al

TAP444 · February 22, 2003 4:30AM

Maybe I can attach a pic of the 25p I have
Tim
and maybe everyone else can also

Fairlaneman · February 22, 2003 5:25AM

The picture Tim put up shows them pretty clearly. Toward the bottom of her neck to the left and mid right are the biggest. It appears there are some smaller ones in the upper portion also.

Tim's 25P and my 25P are two coins that were submitted by the same person from the East Coast. One other was with this batch that I bought last fall. For sure the thrid one had the marks also. After reading everything I have on Mercs there still is no explanation for this look that the 25P's have.

I also went to the Heritage Auction and looked at the lone coin they have. It also has the marks.

AL I have seen so few 25P's in decent XF or AU grades that I really do not have a answer for your question. I suppose they would still be visible though.

Ken

grip · February 22, 2003 6:22AM

I see it ok,Thanks for the scan,and nice coin TIM.Al

quattrocoins · February 26, 2003 1:08AM

Below is the '25-P that I got from Aaron. I don't see the same dents on it.

Don

grip · February 26, 2003 1:25AM

Random planched flaws,sounds good

.Al

Fairlaneman · February 26, 2003 2:42AM

Don I think I see the same small indentations on that coin also. They do not stand out greatly but they do seem to be there. Here is a different look of your coin.

Ken

The 1925P Merc Dime. Question about it.

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