What Year is this Draped Bust Dime?
InGodWeTrustCoins
Posts: 151 ✭✭✭
InGodWeTrustCoins
Posts: 151 ✭✭✭
InGodWeTrustCoins
Posts: 151 ✭✭✭
Comments
I’m thinking that it is an 1807. The lower leaves on the reverse are very close to the shield and on the reverse the star that is closest to the back of the eagles neck has a smaller gap on the 1807 than the 1801.
Definitely 1807, the only reverse die in the dime/quarter eagle series with that reverse star alignment. The obverse S13 also matches.
The reverse die was used on four previous gold $2.50 die marriages 1805 to 1807. This reverse die struck over 175,000 gold and silver coins and never cracked!
The date is so worn in this example that it cannot be used for attribution. The 1807 JR-1 die marriage clashed multiple times, and the date has a number of strong clash marks that make numeral identification nearly impossible. Clashing occurs when the dies come together with full or partial force, without a blank planchet, leaving marks on the die that has the least hardness (hardening and tempering was imperfect in 1807). Obverse and reverse stars can be used for attribution because they were all hand punched, and each die will show a different pattern.
The reverse working die sharing with $2.50 gold and dimes was unique for US Mint coins. Half dollars and $10 gold shared some reverse original (master) dies and hubs, but no reverse working dies were common with .50 and $10. Robert Scot was the only engraver from 1796 until 4-1-1807, and he used the denomination die sharing to reduce the number of original dies, hubs, and working dies needed. Dies took much more engraving effort back then.
You guys are good!
Wow. Thank you so much for the info!
InGodWeTrustCoinsandCurrency.com
You're welcome.
Reference books for the above information on early dimes and early gold (Amazon has them):
Early United States Dimes, 1796-1837 (expensive)
Early U.S. Gold Coin Varieties: A Study of Die States, 1795-1834
Bust Dime Variety Identification Guide
A shameless plug for the only book on Chief Engraver Robert Scot:
Robert Scot: Engraving Liberty
Glad to be of help to you!