The 1926-S is the third pillar of the series after the 1916-D and the 1921 pair: 1,520,000 struck, the lowest San Francisco mintage of the run, and a coin that went straight to work on the West Coast. Nobody set aside bags of San Francisco dimes in 1926, so the date is scarce circulated, scarcer uncirculated, and a genuine rarity in gem condition with a strong strike.
It is also the quietest of the keys, which makes it the one that surprises set-builders. The 1916-D's price is famous; the 1926-S in high grade can be the harder coin to actually find, because there was never a moment when anyone saved them on purpose.
The sleeper of the series. Budget for it early rather than late: circulated examples are the sensible buy, and anything claiming mint state deserves a holder, both for authenticity and because optimism about luster is this date's local industry.
| Issue | Mint | Mintage |
|---|---|---|
| 1926 Mercury Dime | Philadelphia | 32,160,000 |
| 1926-S Mercury Dime | San Francisco | 1,520,000 |
| 1926-D Mercury Dime | Denver | 6,828,000 |
Mintage figures: United States Mint, Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, cross-checked across independent published references. Specifications: United States Mint coin specifications.