Mercury Man or Woman

[aa battery]

I keep reading in posts that the mythical god Mercury is refered to as a woman.The Mercury dime is one of my favorite coins but the bust is of a man not a woman.My question is that she is just a figure of speech or do some think Mercury is a woman?If i dont ask these questions who will? AA

 

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[jeff of pa]

Well First it is actually a

"Liberty Dime" so in this case

Mercury IS a Woman

 

[jeff of pa]

From the RED Book

 

[aa battery]

Wait Jeff now your telling me he is a she? AA

 

[gollum]

I'm not certain about the Mercury on the dime, but Mercury in Mythology is a man.

Here is a Gaulish statue of Mercury (a quick look at the crotchial area speaks volumes):

 

[dahut]

Its not Mercury at all, in fact. Its the "Winged Liberty Head with Phrygian Cap." The wings at her temples (Yes, Liberty is always portrayed as a female) represents freedom of thought.

The Prhygians were Greek slaves, who rebelled and won their freedom from the Greeks. During the Roman Empire the Phrygian cap (Latin: pileus) was worn... by former slaves who had been emancipated by their master and whose descendants were therefore considered citizens of the Empire. This usage is often considered the root of its meaning as a symbol of liberty.

On the reverse is a fasces, a Roman symbol of strength through unity. A fasces is a spear, wrapped in a bundle of staves - stronger for the coming together of these separate parts than it would be alone. The coin was designed at a time of great upheaveal among the European empires of the day. These various elements were incorporated in the design to thumb our nose at Europe as a whole, with whom relations were quite strained.

Note, too, that Liberty is facing away from Europe, to the left. Another coin that used this theme to superb effect is the "Liberty, Walking" half dollar. On that beauty, Liberty is swaddled within the protecting folds of Old Glory and has turned her back on Europe. She is walking into the bright sun of a new day... away from Europe, the dark, tumultuous winds of Continental strife at her back.

Those designs were some awesome stuff, eh?

Mercury, by the way, was male and had winged FEET.

 

[gollum]

And yes, the Mercury on our dimes is NOT a representation of the God Mercury. It IS Liberty wearing a Phyrgian Cap with wings.

So to sum up:

1. Mythological Messenger God Mercury: Male

2. Our Dime Mercury: Female

Best,

Mike

 

[fiatboy]

Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of poet Wallace Stevens, was supposedly the model for the Mercury dime. Here's some pics for comparison. One is a scultpure, the other a photo taken after the time she modeled for the dime. She also supposedly inspired her husband to write "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird." http://writing.upenn.edu/~afilreis/88/stevens-13ways.html

I think it's interesting that so many different women have been the inspiration for Liberty, and they all look quite different.

 

[Gypsy Heart]

These Mercury dimes do not really depict the Roman god Mercury, according to coin collector John Montierth ([email protected]) but "even though the coin in question was officially designed as Winged Liberty, everyone looks at it and thinks Mercury." Skip Floyd ([email protected]), another coin collector, adds this information: "On March 3, 1916, the U. S. Treasury adopted the Winged Cap design of Adolph A. Weinman from a public competition. Weinman also won the award for the Half Dollar design. Not only is the face not that of Hermes or Mercury, it is NOT MALE. The portrait of Ms. Liberty is of Elsie Stevens, Mrs. Wallace Stevens."

 

[aa battery]

Wow thats why TNET is a great site thanks for the info. 8) AA

 

[diggummup]

So to sum it all up,in all actuality the use of the term "Mercury dime" although quite common is incorrect when used to describe a "Winged Liberty Head" dime, just as the term "penny" is incorrect when referring to a U.S. cent.

 

[dahut]

...the use of the term "Mercury dime" although quite common, is incorrect when used to describe a "Winged Liberty Head" dime, just as the term "penny" is incorrect when referring to a U.S. cent.

Correctamundo.

This is very common. The "V" nickel is actually called a "Five-Cent Liberty Head, the "Buffalo" nickel is actually a Five-Cent Indian Head and the Indian Head cent...well, it's officially known as an Indian Head Cent. Go figgure.

BTW we arent the only ones. Cnada has it's Dollar coins with a loon on the obverse. It's called a "Loon Dollar or "Loonie". They also have a two dollar coin with a polar bear on it - called a "twoonie"!!

 

[Rob66]

liberty head dimes were minted 1892-1916 also know as the barber dime. Mercuy dimes also known as winged libertyhead were minted 1916-1945.


The God mercury is suppose to be a man, and he had four wings.
Two on his cap and two on this ankle.