1928-S

San Francisco produced 7,400,000 dimes in 1928, the largest of the three western mints' outputs for the year. The issue moved into circulation across the Pacific coast and the Mountain West, where it saw steady use through the Depression. Survivors today reflect that wear pattern, with the bulk of coins falling in Good through Very Fine grades. Mint State coins exist in adequate numbers, and the date is widely available through MS-65, with Full Bands material attainable at moderate premiums. The 1928-S also has a minor variety dimension worth noting: collectors recognize a Large S and Small S mintmark variety on this date, both produced from punches used during the year, and certified examples occasionally trade with variety attribution from Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) or Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC).

The Adolph A. Weinman type carries through unchanged, with Liberty in a winged Phrygian cap on the obverse and the fasces wrapped by an olive branch on the reverse. Composition is 90 percent silver, 10 percent copper, weighing 2.5 grams at 17.9 millimeters with a reeded edge. The S mintmark sits on the reverse to the left of the fasces base. The Full Bands (FB) designation requires complete separation across the two horizontal bands at the fasces center, and certified gem FB examples on this date are well represented relative to harder San Francisco issues of the decade. Authentication checkpoints include mintmark identification for the Large S versus Small S varieties, weight verification at the 2.5-gram standard, and inspection of the fields for hairlines or polished textures that would point to past surface work.

Date-set collectors usually find the 1928-S in MS-65 FB without much difficulty. PCGS and NGC populations show steady supply through gem grades, with gem-plus examples drawing attention at Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers Galleries. Read the full Mercury Dime series history.