1908 D Barber Dime missing reverse lettering

CollectorBonEZ

Why would someone do this?

ifthevamzarockin

May be the start of a love token or charm.

Hemispherical

It does look like the prep stages for a love token as @ifthevamzarockin post.

Very good thread to read about a love token being reunited with the family. @lordmarcovan was instrumental and an outstanding job in getting this done.

https://forums.collectors.com/discussion/1010979/a-christmas-challenge-completed-vesta-mccurrys-ww1-love-token-is-going-home

lordmarcovan

Yep. Love token prep. Neat piece. The advantage to these unfinished ones is that you can take it to a jeweler and have whatever initial(s) you want engraved on there.

Seated dimes are by far the most common host coins for love tokens, but you will see Barber dimes as well. The tradition declined in the early 1900s, but then re-emerged with the Hobo nickel carvings of the Depression era. So what's the difference between a love token and a hobo carving? The line is kind of blurry, but love tokens were generally made as keepsake gifts, while hobo carvings are typically done for art's sake alone. Modern hobo carvings can be quite intricate.