1945-S Mercury Dime. FS-512. Micro S. MS-67+ FB (PCGS). CAC. Simply put, this is the finest example of the Micro S 1945-S Mercury dime that your cataloger (JLA) can ever recall handling in more than 20 years as a professional numismatist with the nations leading auction firms (which tenure has included cataloging several top ranked Mercury dime collections on the PCGS Set Registry). It is a beautiful Superb Gem dressed in vivid iridescent toning of pearl gray, antique gold and powder blue. The surfaces are intensely lustrous with a soft satin texture, and they are expectably close to pristine for the assigned numeric grade. Full striking detail from the rims to the centers rounds out a truly impressive list of attributes for this remarkable condition rarity.<p>This intriguing variety of the San Francisco Mints final Mercury dime issue features a Micro S mintmark that is similar, yet not identical to that used on the 1916-S and 1917-S issues. The puncheon for this mintmark actually dates to 1907 and was created for use on the San Francisco Mints coinage for the Philippine Islands, particularly the ten and twenty centavos issues. Last used in 1919, this mintmark punch appears to have been stored at the Philadelphia Mint until the pressing needs of wartime coinage during the early to mid 1940s resulted in its retrieval for use in creating dies for dime coinage at the West Coast branch mint. According to David W. Lange (<em>The Complete Guide to Mercury Dimes</em>, 2005 edition), the Micro S mintmark punch appears in the Mercury series only on the 1945-S, and it is never used again for any other issue, in any series.<p>This variety of the 1945-S dime was discovered by Bernard J. Maier in 1947, only two years after production. Its mintage constitutes an unknown percentage of the 41,920,000 pieces reported for the 1945-S in its entirety, but it must have been sufficiently large since this variety is readily obtainable in most Mint State grades. No doubt Maiers early discovery helped with the survival of Uncirculated coins, and they are easily acquired by less discerning collectors who are willing to overlook striking detail. Indeed, nice examples abound in attractive certified grades such as MS-65, MS-66, and even MS-67. On the other hand, hectic wartime production in the United States Mint, and the reduction in quality control that accompanied it, means that the 1945-S Micro S is a significant find with Full Bands definition. Lower grade pieces through MS-66 FB are scarce, while Superb Gem such as this are noteworthy rarities reserved for the finest Mercury dime cabinets.
