Counterfeit Detection: 1942/41 Mercury Dime

The 1942/41 Mercury Dime from the Philadelphia Mint is one of the most well-known overdates on any US coin. Although the variety was first discovered and announced in 1943, very few Mint State pieces survive today, and any example of this variety is worth a hefty premium. There is a similar 1942/41 variety from the Denver Mint, but the under-date is not nearly as pronounced and is therefore less desirable.

This variety occurred due to a mistake in the die-making process at the Philadelphia Mint. Working dies were given two impressions from working hubs, with an annealing process performed in between in order to harden the steel. The die’s first impression came from a 1941-dated hub, while the second was from a 1942. This left traces of the 1941 date underneath the 1942. This error apparently occurred twice, and by mere chance one of those two dies was shipped to Denver. Below is an example of a genuine Philadelphia 1942/41 Mercury dime, along with a close-up of the date.

Genuine Philadelphia 1942/41 Mercury Dime Click images to enlarge.

Close Up of a Genuine Philadelphia 1942/41 Mercury Dime Click image to enlarge.

As you can see, there is doubling on the “4,” especially on the bottom, and the “1” is very clearly visible and is sharply defines. With such a large price disparity between normal coins of this date and the variety, counterfeiters often attempt to fool collectors looking to buy an example. The two most common types of fakes that NGC sees of the 1942/41 Mercury Dime are altered dates and outright counterfeits.

First, we’ll discuss the altered date type of forgery. To create a 1942/41 Mercury dime, a forger will often start with a genuine 1942 Mercury dime. They will then simply move around surface metal until they gather enough to form the shape of the “1” under the left side of the “2” in the date. Here is an example that was not very well done. You can see a dark patch to the left of what is supposed to look like a “1” under the “2.” That dark, rough area is where the forger took metal from in order to form the fraudulent under-date. This particular counterfeiter didn’t even bother trying to make the bottom of the “4” look doubled, and the shape of the “1” is completely wrong.

1942/41 Mercury Dime With Altered Date Click images to enlarge.

Close Up of a 1942/41 Mercury Dime With Altered Date Click image to enlarge.

Lastly, we’ll take a look at a counterfeit 1942/41-P dime. This coin is not altered but rather the entire piece is not genuine. Judging by the lack of sharp details, it was likely created by creating a fake die from a genuine piece.

Counterfeit 1942/41 Mercury Dime Click images to enlarge.

Close Up of a Counterfeit 1942/41 Mercury Dime Click image to enlarge.

The date shows the underlying “1” as well as doubling on the bottom of the “4.” At first glance, the coin might look ok. However the “1” is very weak, much more so than it would be on a genuine piece. That, along with the weak details throughout, should set off alarm bells on this coin. If you are concerned about buying a raw 1942/41 Mercury Dime, coins graded by NGC are always guaranteed to be authentic.

Interested in reading more articles on Counterfeit Detection? Click here.

Discuss on the NGC Chat Boards