1916 Proof Dime Pattern - J-1794/1982

Coin Details

Auction Record

$43,125 PR 07-27-2008 Stack's

Description

A proof dime pattern bearing dual catalog numbers J-1794 and 1982, connecting it to the business-strike J-1982. This pairing indicates the same die combination was struck in both proof and commercial formats, with this proof version providing the optimal rendering of the design's fine details. The Mercury dime's reverse fasces design became the subject of unexpected controversy when the coin entered circulation: some citizens mistook the fasces for a bundle of arrows and the olive branch for an unrelated decorative element, while others correctly identified the classical symbolism. The fasces would later acquire negative connotations through its adoption by Benito Mussolini's Italian Fascist movement (from which the word "fascism" derives), but in 1916 it remained a respected symbol of republican government with deep roots in American civic iconography — it appears on the Lincoln Memorial, the wall of the U.S. House of Representatives, and the seal of the U.S. Senate. Weinman's thoughtful integration of the fasces with the olive branch of peace was widely praised by contemporary art critics.

Rarity Notes

R-7 (Extremely Rare). Individual proof pattern varieties are very scarce.

Cross References

Judd J-1794, also cataloged as 1982