Variety & Identification
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Overdate Type: Known as the “1942 over 1” or “42/1” variety, it occurs when a 1941-dated hub was accidentally used under the 1942 hub, leaving faint remnants of the underlying “1” beneath the “2” on the date
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Scarcity: More common than the 1942/1‑D (Denver), but still scarce in circulated grades; roughly thousands exist in AU/MS grades, with fewer than ~300 known in MS60+ and only a few dozen in MS65+
Coin Specs & Grade
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Type: Mercury Dime (“Winged Liberty Head”)
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Date: 1942/1 (Philadelphia, no mintmark)
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Minted: Philadelphia, mintage for regular 1942 Mercury Dime was 205 million, but overdates were accidental and unreported
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Grade: PCGS AU55
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Indicates light wear on high points, with most original luster remaining—typical for About Uncirculated 55.
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Full design details are intact; particularly important is visible remnants of the “1” in the date, confirming the variety.
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Significance & Collector Appeal
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Key modern variety: One of the most popular error varieties in the Mercury dime series
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Display charm: The faint “1” under the “2” is a visual proof of minting error—collectors prize this.
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Condition rarity: AU55 is relatively scarce compared to common 1942 ones, but significantly more accessible than gem or mint-state versions.
