Seated Liberty Legend Obverse Dimes 1860-1891 Coin Guide
Back to Coin
Encyclopedia Index
Seated Liberty Legend Obverse Dimes 1860-1891
By 1860 the average American citizen was becoming increasingly aware of
the small change in his pockets. At long last there were plenty of coins
to use in daily transactions. Less than a decade earlier silver coins
barely circulated at all, because their melt value exceeded their face
value. Congress ultimately resolved that problem in 1853 by reducing the
precious metal content of the nation's coinage. A few years later, with
the end of large cent production and the release of millions of the new
small copper-nickel cents, coin collecting began to grab a foothold, and
even more people took note of the coins going through their hands.
This was also a time when small change represented considerable
purchasing power: Americans averaged a ten-hour working day, and the
expression "a dollar a day" was quite apropos. In New York City,
for instance, a salesman just starting out to sell A. Blower's patent
Waterproof Composition (a compound for use on shoes and boots) could
expect to make about ten cents an hour. That dime might buy a ladies
Shetland wool corset, a child's ticket to see General Tom Thumb on
Broadway or maybe a half-dozen good cigars. Interestingly enough, in 1860
the appearance of the now familiar dime would undergo a change, courtesy
of the U. S. Mint.
The addition of stars to Christian Gobrecht's uncluttered Seated
Liberty dime in 1838 had an unwanted side-effect: The design would not
strike up completely. It was thought that this was caused by die
opposition- raised portions of the design opposite one another on each
side of the coin. In the case of the Stars Obverse design, the reverse
legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA was opposite the thirteen stars spread
around the rim on the obverse. To remedy the situation, in 1860 Chief
Engraver James Longacre switched the legend to the obverse and added the
"Wreath of Cereals" to the reverse. This wreath was the work of
Assistant Engraver Anthony C. Paquet, and it was adapted from the pattern
half dollars of 1859. The wreath was composed of leaves of corn, wheat,
maple and oak, and it would remain in use on dimes, essentially unchanged,
until 1916. Unfortunately, Longacre's design change made little
improvement in striking quality, even after he made further minor
modifications in late 1860.
Over 175 million of the Legend Obverse Seated Liberty dimes were
produced from 1860 through 1891 at four mints: Philadelphia (no mintmark),
New Orleans (O), Carson City (CC) and San Francisco (S). The series is
punctuated by the With Arrows issues of 1873-74, a two year design change
that used arrowheads on either side of the date to indicate a slight
increase in weight. The Philadelphia Mint struck Legend Obverse dimes
continuously from 1860 through 1891, while the branch in San Francisco saw
production each year except 1860. Carson City struck this type between
1871 and 1878, and New Orleans would only see production in two years, the
first and last of the design. Mintmarks are located on the reverse beneath
the bow in the wreath, except in 1875, when they are also found within the
wreath.
While the series has many "common" dates, it includes a
number of very scarce issues. Although there are no standout rarities from
the Philadelphia Mint, the coins struck from 1863 through 1869 are
especially elusive and quite rare in mint condition. The short-lived
Carson City run includes rare early dates and common later ones, but it
embraces one of the greatest rarities in all of U.S. numismatics, the
1873-CC Without Arrows. While 12,399 examples of this issue are recorded
to have been struck, only one coin is known today. For many years it was
included in the collection of Louis Eliasberg, Sr., until those coins were
sold at auction in 1996-97. Another important rarity is the low mintage
1860-O, also extremely rare in uncirculated condition. While some San
Francisco issues after 1875 number among the most common in the series,
the dates before 1872 are quite scarce.
The Philadelphia Mint struck one "transitional" issue dated
1859, the so-called "coin without a country." These coins retain
the previous Stars Obverse design but are muled with the Cereal Wreath
reverse as adopted in 1860. The coins lack any mention of the issuing
authority, and all are very rare, with an estimated twelve pieces
surviving. Struck by order of Mint Director James Ross Snowden and made
only as proofs, these were used by Snowden as "trade bait,"
enticing local collectors to part with rarities they owned that were
lacking in the Mint's collection.
Legend Obverse dimes are one of the most popular 19th century U.S.
coins and are available in a wide range of grades. Because of their
smaller size they usually have fewer abrasions than larger denomination
coins. When grading this design, friction from circulation first begins to
show on the head, breast and knee of Liberty; on the reverse, check the
highest portions of the wreath and bow knot. Counterfeits are generally
not a problem in the series, but mintmarks are known to have been removed
from certain dates and added to others.
This design is generally collected either by date and mint in lower
grades or by type, in which case only one business strike or proof of any
date is needed. In addition, a few specialists collect the series by die
variety. For the type collector, this series poses no difficulty. Many of
the commoner issues are often available in grades above MS-65. Small
hoards of many dates have come to light over the years, including some of
the Philadelphia issues of the Civil War period. The availability of mint
state specimens was again augmented in January, 1985, when two original
rolls of Legend Obverse dimes were dispersed. The coins were dated 1883
and 1884, and most were brilliant gems, with a number of pieces that
graded higher than MS 65.
With a total of 24,903 pieces made for the series, proofs are readily
available and have often been used in collections when high grade business
strikes could not be obtained. They are occasionally available with heavy
mint frost on the devices and deeply mirrored fields. These
"cameo" coins are very popular with type collectors.
Legend Obverse dimes from the later years-1882 through 1891-are more
available than other Seated Liberty coins of this era. As representatives
of the design type in general, they span a period of American history that
begins prior to the beginning of the Civil War and ends one year after the
western frontier officially closed. By the end of the 1880s most people
had known no other coins except the Seated Liberty issues. Many called for
a new design. In 1892, the long-lasting Seated Liberty motif was finally
replaced with the new portrait of Liberty by Mint Chief Engraver Charles
Barber.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Diameter: 17.9 millimeters Weight: 2.49 grams prior to 1873, 2.50 grams
after. Composition: .900 silver, .100 copper Edge: Reeded Net Weight:
.0720 ounce pure silver prior to 1873, .0723 ounce pure silver after.
BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ahwash, Kamal M., Encyclopedia of United
States Liberty Seated Dimes 1837-1891, Kamal Press, Wallingford, PA, 1974.
Bowers, Q. David, United States Dimes, Quarters and Half Dollars, Bowers
and Merena, Wolfeboro, NH, 1986. Bowers, Q. David, United States Coins by
Design Types, An Action Guide for the Collector and Investor, Bowers and
Merena, Wolfeboro, NH, 1986. Breen, Walter, Walter Breen's Complete
Encyclopedia of U.S. and Colonial Coins, F.C.I. Press/Doubleday, New York,
1988. Greer, Brian, The Complete Guide to Liberty Seated Dimes, DLRC
Press, Virginia Beach, VA, 1992. New York Times, February 1, April 11 and
April 18, 1860.
Coin Information Provided Courtesy NGC.
|
|
![[Most Recent Quotes from www.kitco.com]](http://kitconet.com/images/quotes_special.gif)