The United States Mint launches the first installment of its Best of the Mint series on June 4, 2026, at noon EDT — a five-set program pairing 24-karat gold coins struck in classic American designs with newly designed silver medals. The inaugural set features a 1/10 oz .9999 fine gold Mercury dime and a 1 oz .999 fine silver medal inspired by Adolph A. Weinman’s 1916 Winged Liberty Head design.
Orders are limited to one set per household for the first 24 hours. Pricing follows the Mint’s precious metals pricing matrix, which adjusts weekly based on the gold spot price. At current gold levels, the set is priced at $875.
What’s in the Set
The set contains two pieces:
Gold coin: A one-tenth ounce .9999 fine (24-karat) gold coin reproducing Weinman’s original Mercury dime design. The obverse depicts Liberty in profile wearing a winged Phrygian cap — a symbol of freedom of thought, not the Roman god Mercury, despite the coin’s popular nickname. Inscriptions read “LIBERTY,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “1916.” The reverse shows a fasces (a bundle of rods symbolizing strength through unity) with an olive branch representing peace. Like other 2026 Semiquincentennial issues, the coin carries a Liberty Bell privy mark with the numeral “250.”
Silver medal: A one-ounce .999 fine silver medal with a modern design that spans both sides. The medal interprets the Mercury dime’s circulation period (1916–1945) — an era that included two world wars, the Great Depression, and the Dust Bowl. Liberty is depicted in both defensive and offensive stances, holding a sword with rays extending from it to symbolize hope. Hooverville shacks and swirling Dust Bowl winds appear in the background. The inscription reads “1916–1945.”
The Original Mercury Dime
Weinman’s Mercury dime debuted in 1916 alongside two other new designs that entered circulation the same year: the Standing Liberty quarter (Hermon Atkins MacNeil) and the Walking Liberty half dollar (also Weinman). The simultaneous release of all three made 1916 one of the most consequential years in American coin design history.
The Mercury dime circulated for 29 years, from 1916 through 1945, before being replaced by the Roosevelt dime. Among collectors, the 1916-D issue is the series key date — the Denver Mint struck only 264,000 that year, and examples in higher grades command five- and six-figure prices at auction.
This is not the first time the Mint has revived Weinman’s dime design in gold. In 2016, the Mint struck a 1/10 oz .9999 fine gold Mercury dime to mark the design’s centennial. That coin was sold individually, not as part of a set, and carried a household limit of 10. The 2026 version adds the Semiquincentennial privy mark and pairs the coin with the companion silver medal.
The Full Best of the Mint Series
The Mint selected the five designs for this series through a public survey of 21 historic coins, followed by expert recommendation. Each set pairs a 24-karat gold coin — sized to match the original denomination — with a one-ounce silver medal offering a modern interpretation of the design’s era. All five gold coins carry the original issue date and the “250” Liberty Bell privy mark.
| Set | Gold Coin Size | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 Mercury Dime | 1/10 oz | June 4, 2026 |
| 1916 Standing Liberty Quarter | 1/4 oz | July 10, 2026 |
| 1916 Walking Liberty Half Dollar | 1/2 oz | TBD (Summer 2026) |
| 1804 Silver Dollar | 1 oz | TBD (Summer 2026) |
| 1907 Saint-Gaudens High Relief $20 | 1 oz | September 24, 2026 |
Three of the five sets draw from 1916 designs — the Mercury Dime, Standing Liberty Quarter, and Walking Liberty Half Dollar — underscoring that year’s outsized influence on American numismatic art. The final two sets honor what many consider the most famous coins in U.S. history: the legendary 1804 silver dollar and Augustus Saint-Gaudens’ high-relief double eagle, which President Theodore Roosevelt personally commissioned in 1907.
The gold coin sizes scale with the original denominations: a dime gets 1/10 oz, a quarter gets 1/4 oz, a half dollar gets 1/2 oz, and the dollar and double eagle each get a full ounce. This means the complete five-set collection contains 2.85 troy ounces of .9999 fine gold.
How to Buy
The Mercury Dime set is available exclusively from the U.S. Mint at usmint.gov beginning June 4, 2026, at noon EDT. The one-per-household limit applies for the first 24 hours.
Pricing is determined by the Mint’s precious metals pricing matrix, which recalculates weekly based on the average gold spot price. The current price is $875 per set. If gold moves significantly before June 4, the price may adjust.
The Mint offers a “Remind Me” notification for this product. Given the household limit and the series’ collector appeal, sets are expected to sell briskly.
Other 2026 Semiquincentennial Releases
The Best of the Mint series is part of a broader 2026 Semiquincentennial numismatic program from the U.S. Mint. Other notable releases include:
- The 2026-W Proof Gold Buffalo with dual date (1776 ~ 2026) and Liberty Bell privy mark — the first privy mark on a U.S. Mint 24-karat gold bullion coin
- The 2026-W Proof Gold Eagle with the same dual date and privy mark treatment
- Semiquincentennial circulating coins, including a redesigned cent and quarter
For a comprehensive overview of the 2026 bullion lineup, see our guide to 2026 US Mint Bullion Coins.
