2023 Mercury Dime Tribute – 1 Troy Ounce Gold Art Medal
One of American coinage’s most recognizable portraits takes on a new presence in gold. Intaglio Mint’s 2023 Mercury Dime Tribute renders the Winged Liberty design as a domed-die art medal, pairing the familiar classical profile with one troy ounce of .9999 fine gold. The 32mm format gives collectors a fresh way to appreciate a design first carried in everyday pockets more than a century ago.
The Liberty Behind the Mercury Name
Adolph A. Weinman’s original dime entered circulation in 1916 and remained in production through 1945. Although collectors came to call it the Mercury dime, the portrait represents Liberty. The wings on her cap symbolize freedom of thought; their resemblance to the Roman messenger god’s traditional headgear supplied the enduring nickname.
The original reverse brought together a fasces—a bundle of rods surrounding an axe—and an olive branch. These ancient symbols balanced strength and preparedness with the desire for peace. That combination of a bold portrait and carefully chosen classical imagery helped make Weinman’s small silver coin a lasting favorite.
A Modern Gold Tribute
This 2023 Intaglio Mint art medal carries the design into a different metal and format. Its inscriptions identify the one-ounce gold tribute, while the domed-die presentation gives the familiar imagery a distinctive medallic treatment. A particularly subtle feature is the mintage number, microprinted on the blade of the axe.
Obverse Design
The Winged Liberty head is surrounded by “LIBERTY,” with “IN GOD WE TRUST” below the portrait and the date 2023.
Reverse Design
The fasces forms the central motif. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” appears above, “ONE OUNCE” below, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” in the right field. The reverse also carries .9999 FINE GOLD, the 2023 date, a “D” mark, and INTAGLIO MINT at six o’clock. Look closely at the axe blade for the microprinted mintage number.
Specifications
- Weight: 1.00 troy ounce
- Thickness: 3.60 mm
- Purity: .9999 fine gold
- Edge: Reeded
- Diameter: 32 mm
- Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated
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