Mercury Dime Earrings Ref 412035

Mercury Dime Earrings. Sterling Silver. 26.50 x 21.75 mm. Matching Ring: 50872. Matching Necklace: NCK185.

The Mercury dime is the representation of liberty and a symbol of power and freedom much idealized within America. The Mercury Dime is one of the most treasured and heavily collected U.S. coins. It holds a very important place in the history of the United States coinage. It saw America through two world wars and was a reminder to Americans that there is a price to be paid for peace and freedom. The strong symbolism of freedom of thought, peace and power are strong characteristics of the American mindset.

Obverse: Depiction of Miss Liberty wearing a winged cap to represent freedom of thought. Adolph Weinman, a student of Augustus St. Gaudens, was the designer of this coin. The model of Liberty was Elsie Stevens, the wife of the famous American poet and Pulitzer Prize winner Wallace Stevens.

Reverse: With the U.S. approaching entry into WWI, the reverse side portrayed an ancient Roman "fasces” wrapped in an olive branch, a universal symbol of peace. Within the branches is an executioners axe surrounded by staffs and bound together with leather thong, a symbol of power.