The first proof Mercury dime didn’t come along until some 20 years after the first representative of this popular series was released. This is due to some the circumstance that the first Mercury dimes weren’t made until 1916, the year when the United States had begun phasing out the production of proof coinage, at least for a while.

The 1936 proof Mercury dimes were made with a brilliant finish, which was a welcome situation for the many collectors who disliked the matte proof Lincoln cents and Buffalo nickels struck that same year. Thankfully for the numismatists who preferred the brilliant finish seen on the proof Mercury dime, all denominations of United States proof coinage eventually saw the more reflective brilliant proof finish before the end of that year.

A few thousand examples of the 1936 proof Mercury dime are known, so it’s not a rare coin in the absolute sense, but higher-end specimens are indeed very scarce. Especially rare are those grading PR67 or higher. Pieces with any discernable cameo effect are virtually nonexistent.