USA 1 dime Seated Liberty Dime 1853
USA, Philadelphia
Rarity
Common
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dime |
| Krause number | KM# 77 |
| Mintage | 12,078,010 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 0.95 mm |
| diameter | 17.9 mm |
| weight | 2.49 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Star
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Wreath
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
ONE DIME
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
After several years of dithering over the falling price of gold which had driven the now-undervalued silver coins from circulation, Congress on February 21, 1853 passed a law lowering the weight of the half dime through half dollar about seven percent. This was enough to permit their free circulation once again, though the silver dollar remained at its old standard, condemning it to be an export issue only for many years. To distinguish the lower-weight coins and prevent their export or melting, the U. S. Mint placed opposed arrowheads at either side of the date. This mark was retained through 1855, by which time it was assumed that nearly all dimes in circulation were of the new standard. This was a reasonable assertion, as mintages for the new issues were enormous for that time period. The more than 12 million Arrows dimes pumped out by the Philadelphia Mint in 1853 made this date a common sight in circulation for decades and, as late as the 1930s, coin dealers specified in their ads that no such coins were desired by them. There are countless die marriages for this issue, only one of them being noteworthy for variety features. F-107/FS-301 features a repunched dated and some reverse die cracks. The 1853 Arrows dime is common across all grades through MS 65, though its status as a short-lived subtype has created a steady demand from type collectors.Read More
