1937 Mercury Dime PCGS MS65FB

The coin you are asking about, a 1937 Mercury Dime PCGS MS65FB, is a highly desirable piece, with its value driven significantly by the rare “FB” designation.

Here is a detailed breakdown of this coin, its historical context, grading, and value.

1937 Mercury Dime: PCGS MS65FB

Descriptive & Historical Data

• Coin Type: Mercury Dime (officially, the Winged Liberty Head Dime). This iconic coin, designed by Adolph A. Weinman, was minted from 1916 to 1945 and is composed of 90% Silver and 10% Copper.
• Mintage: The 1937 dime without a mint mark (struck at the Philadelphia Mint) had a large mintage of 56,860,000 pieces. However, its value is tied to its condition and the “FB” feature, not its overall scarcity.
• Composition: The coin contains 0.07234 troy ounces of actual silver weight (ASW), giving it a silver melt value that fluctuates with the market.
• Key Design Feature:
  • Obverse: Features the allegorical Liberty with a winged Phrygian cap.
  • Reverse (Focus of FB): Features a fasces (a bundle of rods with an axe) entwined with an olive branch. The FB designation is located on the horizontal bands wrapped around the fasces.

Grading and Rarity

The unique combination of the high Mint State grade and the Full Bands detail elevates this coin’s value substantially.

• PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service): Certifies the coin’s authenticity and professional grade.
• MS65 (Mint State 65): This is a Gem Uncirculated grade. The coin has excellent luster and a sharp strike, with only light, scattered contact marks or flaws that are not in the main focal areas.
• FB (Full Bands): This is the crucial premium designation. It signifies that the coin has a complete and clear separation in the two central horizontal bands on the fasces device on the reverse.
  • This level of detail is difficult to achieve during the minting process, as the metal often does not flow into this area completely, causing the bands to appear merged or weak. Therefore, a coin with the FB designation is significantly rarer and more valuable than one graded merely MS65.

Value Estimate

The FB designation can easily double or triple the value of a high-grade Mercury Dime, including the 1937 issue.

Based on recent auction results and price guides for a 1937 (Philadelphia Mint) Mercury Dime: