The fasces symbol was later officially adopted by Benito Mussolini and his National Fascist Party, though this was the fourth party with a name invoking the fasces (in Italian: fascio) to which Mussolini had belonged. The reverse design, a fasces juxtaposed with an olive branch, was intended to symbolize America's readiness for war, combined with its desire for peace. Weinman (who had studied under Augustus Saint-Gaudens) won a 1915 competition against two other artists for the design job, and is thought to have modeled his version of Liberty on Elsie Kachel Stevens, wife of noted poet Wallace Stevens. The composition (90 percent silver, 10 percent copper) and diameter (17.9 millimeters) of the 'Mercury' dime was unchanged from the Barber dime. Weinman, the Winged Liberty Head dime is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful U.S. The obverse figure is a depiction of the mythological goddess Liberty wearing a Phrygian cap, a classic symbol of liberty and freedom, with its wings intended to symbolize freedom of thought.

Although most commonly referred to as the 'Mercury' dime, the coin does not depict the Roman messenger god.

1942 s mercury dime value