1928

Philadelphia produced 19,480,000 dimes in 1928, a sizable mintage that placed the issue solidly in the common-date tier of the series. The coin circulated heavily through the late 1920s and the early Depression, and survivors are abundant in mid-circulated grades. Mint State coins exist in adequate numbers through MS-65, supported by a handful of contemporary roll finds that came down through the hobby in the postwar period. Strike quality on Philadelphia dimes from 1928 typically runs above the branch-mint average for the year, and a respectable share of the population comes with sharp central detail. Type and date collectors building moderate-budget sets often target this date for an entry-level Mint State example, and high-grade Full Bands pieces remain attainable for collectors willing to pay modest premiums over generic gem material.

The Adolph A. Weinman type continues with Liberty in her winged Phrygian cap on the obverse and the fasces wrapped by an olive branch on the reverse. Composition holds at 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper, 2.5 grams, 17.9 millimeters, reeded edge. The Full Bands (FB) designation, applied by Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) when the two horizontal bands at the fasces center are fully separated, sits in the moderately attainable range for the 1928 at gem level. Authentication priorities include checking the obverse cheek for clean luster, the wing feather definition for original strike, and the fields under angled light for hairlines indicating prior cleaning. The die-flow grain at magnification should appear fine and natural, never artificially smooth or polished.

For collectors building a Mercury Dime date set, the 1928 is friendly through MS-65 FB. PCGS and NGC populations thin above MS-66, and Heritage Auctions plus Stack's Bowers Galleries log periodic gem results at strong prices. Read the full Mercury Dime series history.