The 1942/1 and 1942/1-D Mercury dimes are among the most desired dates of the series, with the overdates visible with the naked eye or a loupe. Both dimes, however, are frequently counterfeited or altered. So it is important to note the diagnostics explained in this article.
1942/1
The 1942/1 Mercury dime is one of the most popular overdates in U.S. coinage. Better still, this Philadelphia date has a huge mintage of 205,410,000, with estimates as high as 4,000 overdates surviving and making their way into commerce, rolls and bank bags.
The overdate is obvious, especially in higher grades, as this PCGS CoinFacts photo demonstrates:
This error occurred when the 1941 die was impressed by a 1942-dated hub.
Retail values in Good 6-8 average about $300, rising to$500+ in Very Fine and $1,000+ in Almost Uncirculated. In low mint state, the dime sells for between $3,000-$5,000. The overdate is a condition rarity in higher mint state grades.
Altered coins are plentiful, especially by adding a “1” to the “2,” as in this example, compliments of NGC:
1942/1-D
Like its 1942/1 sister, the Denver overdate is not an ultra rarity, with 3,200 believed to have survived out of a mintage of 60,740,000.
If you are inspecting a lower mint state example, you will need a loupe or coin microscope to identify the overdate. Look at the left top and bottom of the two for telltale signs of the “1.”
Retail prices for dimes in Good to Fine sell for around $300, rising above $500 in Very Fine to Extra Fine. In Almost Uncirculated, specimens sell for $1,000+. Again like its sister 1942/1 dime, mint state examples sell in the thousands and are considered condition rarities.
Be on the lookout for the same type of altered date as in the 1942/1 example mentioned earlier. But an even greater concern involves fake tokens cast from genuine coins. You can buy these tokens for under $20 on Etsy.
The risk here is not only buying from Etsy but buying an Etsy token billed as genuine and sold on popular venues such as eBay.
Also when on the Bay, don’t be fooled by worn 1942 dimes being billed as 1942/1 varieties. Here’s an example with no overdate:
Because of the prevalence of counterfeit, cast, altered and misidentified 1942/1 dimes, do not bid on or buy raw overdate coins from online sellers. In this case, buy the holder, not the coin, from PCGS, NCG, ANACS and CAC.
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