Liberty Seated dimes record changing weight, inscriptions, arrows, wreaths, branch mints, war-era scarcity, and western production across a long 1837–1891 run.
This page covers all eight normalized Liberty Seated dime types, including transitional patterns and resumed designs. Barber dimes begin separately in 1892.
Core specifications
- Issue period
- 1837–1891
- Catalog mints
- 4
- Reported catalog mintage
- 247,095,277
- Composition
- 90% Silver - 10% Copper
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
- Weight
- Varies by type
A long-lived design keeps changing
Christian Gobrecht's seated Liberty began without stars, then gained stars and drapery. Arrows at the date signaled the 1853 weight reduction, and a later redesign moved UNITED STATES OF AMERICA to the obverse.
New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City expanded the production map. Civil War interruptions, western branch-mint keys, a second arrows period in 1873–1874, and the final 1891 issues create distinct collecting eras.
Obverse, reverse, and the details that identify the type
Confirm the major design, date, and mint mark before studying smaller die differences.
The main portrait and date
Liberty sits with shield and liberty pole; no-stars, stars, drapery, arrows, and the later national legend distinguish major types.
Denomination, subject, and mint mark
ONE DIME sits inside a wreath. The wreath evolves from the earlier agricultural form to the later cereal wreath after the legend moves to the obverse.
Where the cataloged coins were made
Totals are calculated from reported issue records in this catalog; unknown figures are not counted as zero.
- P — Philadelphia: 1837, 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1844, 1845, 1846, 1847, 1848, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1855, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891; 168,425,302. Philadelphia issues commonly carry no P mint mark in classic series; confirm the expected blank area rather than searching for a letter.
- S — San Francisco: 1856, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1861, 1862, 1863, 1864, 1865, 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869, 1870, 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891; 37,897,253. Confirm the S mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- CC — Carson City: 1871, 1872, 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878; 20,912,588. Confirm the CC mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
- O — New Orleans: 1838, 1839, 1840, 1841, 1842, 1843, 1845, 1849, 1850, 1851, 1852, 1853, 1854, 1856, 1857, 1858, 1859, 1860, 1891; 19,860,134. Confirm the O mint mark together with its expected year, position, and issue format.
Representative issues that explain the series
Build a major-type set before attempting 128 issue records. Branch-mint and Civil War dates should be budgeted separately from common later Philadelphia coins.
- 1837 P - All Varieties — 682,500. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1846 P — 31,300. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1853 O — 1,100,000. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1871 CC — 20,100. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1873 CC - No Arrows — 12,400. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
- 1874 CC — 10,817. Open the issue page and read this record together with its type, mint, finish, and grade context.
Start with the major type, then study smaller die differences
The current catalog records 6 varieties. A variety name describes repeatable die features; it does not automatically mean error, rarity, or added value.
The issue catalog keeps all 6 modeled varieties attached to their parent issue records.
Issue catalog
From one type coin to a complete catalog
- One representative coin: Choose one problem-free, readable example and learn the size, edge, and major design.
- Major-type set: Use one coin per major design to show changes in artwork, composition, or production.
- Dates and mints: Work through the issue catalog by date and mint, defining special finishes separately.
- Variety study: Choose one date or diagnostic family and record several matching markers for every attribution.
A note on catalog records
This page uses 128 issue records, 6 modeled varieties, and currently reported mintages; unknown values remain unknown.
Sources
- The Evolution of Liberty on U.S. Coins — United States Mint
- Dime: Designs and History — United States Mint
- Liberty Seated Dime category reference — PCGS CoinFacts