Mercury Dimes

Bkwyrm, of the Occult Book Reviews site at the library, has a special offer on Mercury dimes, including a special on a combo of dime and ritual oil that seems like a pretty good deal. These are special order, so check out the Mercury Dimes page for details.

“The Mercury dime is a ten-cent coin struck by the United States Mint from 1916 to 1945. Designed by Adolph Weinman and sometimes referred to as the Winged Liberty dime, it gained the term “Mercury dime” because the depiction of Liberty, in her winged cap, was often confused with the Roman god Mercury. The reverse of the coin shows a a bundle of wooden sticks with an axe blade emerging from the center, called a fasces, symbolizing unity and strength, and an olive branch, signifying peace.

In hoodoo and some forms of American folk magic, a Mercury dime is considered an extremely lucky talisman. Traditionally, it is pierced, anointed with oils, and worn on a cotton string around the ankle. It is said to turn black if the wearer is being attacked with negative magic. Other practitioners wear a Mercury dime as a pendant around the neck for the same reason, but also as a charm for luck. The Mercury dime is also a common item found in “mojo bags” or “mojo hands” created for various purposes, usually related to luck or money. Due to the god Mercury’s position as patron of games of chance and sleight of hand, the Mercury dime is considered a powerful talisman for gambling purposes.

We recently discovered a local coin dealer who had something of a stash of circulated Mercury dimes. This means the coins are somewhat worn and tarnished, as they were actually used. A coin dealer would find that this makes the coin worth less to them, but for magical purposes, a circulated coin may well be more effective than an uncirculated one – the theory is that the coin has been in contact with other money and has been “in the flow” of circulation, and will work more effectively for attracting wealth. Because the Mercury dimes are 90% silver, they have become slightly more difficult to find, as the cost of silver has increased.

QUADRIVIUM SUPPLIES has a limited number of Mercury dimes, which we are offering to our customers in the following ways:

  • The coin alone ($10).
  • The coin as a pendant, set in a nickel-plated bezel on a sterling silver chain ($15).
  • Special Holiday Offer – The coin in conjunction with a vial of oil, regular or electional ($20).

For leap year coins, please add $5 to the price.

Because of the limited number of coins, these are available by special order only.” [via]