What a COINcidence

[John 'n' W.Va]

Took a break from job hunting while I was in Datona Beach. What a COINcidence. I had the MD in the car and I am at the parking lot over looking the beach. It is low tide. The sea is ruff and the weather is misty rain. Perfect! I bet 2 feet of sand was taken away by the tide and there is alot of goodies under the sand. Only problem is I have to stay clean for my next appointment. I have an hour to burn.
I found a coin that is a little bigger then a quarter. It was covered in a brown crust. I bet it is foreign. When I got home I cleaned it up and it was a dollar. I checked out a cut in a sand dune and found a 1923 mercury dime. My rule for a successful hunt is to find gold, silver or a new coin for my book. My first 1923 dime.

 

[DavHut]

[size=small]A "Liberty Head with Cap and Wings" dime, (aka Mercury Dime) is always a nice find.

Did you know Mercury has no wings on his head and well, isnt a her?
Mercury, the messenger of the gods, had winged feet and was decidedly male.

The visage on the obverse of a Merc actually represents Liberty (always female), facing away from Europe, with whom we were at odds in the early 20th Century. She wears a Phrygian cap, the Roman attribute of a freed slave and has wings on her forehead representing "freedom of thought."

On the reverse is a fasces, representing the absolute strength of a unified state. A fasces is a bundle of spear hafts tied tightly around a pole axe - strength through unity. It also meant "By the axe or the rod"... in other words, you'll get it either way if you mess with us. This was a direct thumbing of our nose to the rest of the disjointed world. Times were equally troubled, back then.

Wrapped around the base of the fasces are an oak branch and an olive branch - strength and peace, in one.

The whole series of coins from this time had this "multiplicity of meaning" going on. As a group, they are, to my eye, the MOST beautiful of American coins.[/size]

 

[John 'n' W.Va]

I looked at that dime and said it is a he, but it looks like a she. I know who mercury is, but I now know what the dime is about.
Thanks, my friend.

 

[Uncle Willy]

You done good for a short stop over.

Bill

 

[Uncle Willy]

Mercury was the precursor to the "Flash."

Bill