The 1916 D Mercury Dime is one of the most iconic key dates in 20th‑century American coinage, and this monochrome master study isolates its sculptural essence. Created with Faber‑Castell and Prismacolor pencils in black, white, and the full spectrum of greys, the drawing eliminates color but preserves the coin’s metallic luster. This layered technique allows the surfaces to shimmer with the same vitality as struck silver, while focusing attention on form, proportion, and design intent.

Rather than replicate a single specimen, the study is built from comparative analysis across multiple coins. This approach distills Weinman’s idealized geometry: the curvature of Liberty’s winged cap, the taper of the neck, and the vertical tension within the fasces. The absence of toning directs the viewer to the architecture of the design itself, free from the distractions of grade or market value.

The drawing emphasizes the balance between symbolic elements: Liberty’s profile crowned with wings of thought, and the fasces bound with an olive branch, uniting strength and peace. Tonal layering creates depth across the cheek and cap, while highlights in white pencil suggest reflected light that mimics the coin’s shifting brilliance in hand. Shadows are carefully modulated to preserve volume, particularly in the fasces, where the Full Bands detail is rendered with crisp separation.

As a work of draftsmanship, the study succeeds in capturing both the clarity and the vulnerabilities of the design. The fasces, while bold, reveals its susceptibility to strike weakness, and the winged cap demonstrates the delicacy of Weinman’s sculptural modeling. These nuances, often blurred in worn examples, are brought into sharp relief through the monochrome medium.

The layered pencil work also underscores how light interacts with relief, with highlights blooming across Liberty’s cap and cheek while shadow pools along the fasces. This interplay of light and dark conveys the same shifting brilliance one sees when tilting an actual coin in hand. By sustaining luster within a monochrome palette, the study bridges the gap between technical rendering and lived numismatic experience. Ultimately, it demonstrates how draftsmanship can preserve not only form but also the tactile vitality that defines Weinman’s artistry.

This study affirms the role of drawing as interpretive scholarship. It does not merely document the coin but interrogates its sculptural rhythm, revealing how light, line, and proportion interact within the circular frame. In doing so, it becomes a reference standard for the series—an artistic benchmark that honors the Mercury dime’s architectural clarity and symbolic ambition. Its inclusion in the archive underscores a commitment to capturing numismatic form with the same reverence applied to provenance and catalog writing.