Blanchard

Known erroneously to all as the Mercury Dime, the main device is actually Miss Liberty and the wings crowning her cap are meant to symbolize freedom of thought. The reverse device is highly symbolic and was probably chosen due to America’s eminent entry into World War I.

The device is a Roman fasces, which was commonly understood to represent the power of life or death. As numismatic author Walter Breen stated "Weinman’s symbolic message…was clearly an updated ‘Don’t tread on me.’" This is a very popular and collectible series with few major rarities to block set completion, the key date being 1916-D.