1943-S

San Francisco struck 60,400,000 Mercury Dimes in 1943, a wartime figure that reflected ongoing demand for small change across the West Coast industrial corridor. Defense plants, shipyards, and military bases all required steady payroll support, and the dime was a key denomination in everyday commerce. These coins circulated heavily through the war and into the postwar decades, and most surviving examples show wear from long service. Mint State pieces are available from the original roll and bag hoards of the silver speculation era, and the 1943-S is among the more approachable San Francisco Mercury Dimes in high grade.

The Weinman design carries Liberty in her winged Phrygian cap on the obverse with LIBERTY around the top and the date below the truncation. The reverse displays the fasces with olive branch and the S mintmark to the left of the fasces base. The coin weighs 2.5 grams of 90% silver and 10% copper, measures 17.9 mm in diameter, and has a reeded edge. The S punch on 1943-S coins is the knob-end style used at San Francisco in the late series. Authenticators verify the mintmark shape and position, check the date for proper depth and font, and inspect the central horizontal bands on the fasces for the complete separation required for the PCGS or NGC Full Bands designation. Strike quality is generally good and Full Bands examples appear regularly through MS-66.

The 1943-S is affordable through MS-66 Full Bands and shows a steeper price climb at MS-67 and above. Heritage Auctions has recorded steady results for top-graded examples. The date is a comfortable acquisition for collectors. Population reports updated regularly by Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Company give the best read on conditional scarcity by grade. Roll-quantity finds from estate consignments occasionally bring fresh material to the market, though such groups are increasingly uncommon. The Mercury Dime series history offers more context.