1796-1807 Draped Bust Dimes
The Draped Bust Dimes were minted from 1796 to 1806. Mintage levels remained low for the initial portion of the series, but increased to higher levels for the final two years. One issue established a mintage low for the denomination, which would stand for more than six decades. The series is divided into two portions, […]
The rarest date within the series is the 1804 Draped Bust Dime (Buy on eBay) with a mintage of just 8,265 pieces. This was the only sub-10,000 mintage for the dime denomination until the 1860’s. The date is found in two major varieties, identified by either thirteen or fourteen stars on the reverse. Both varieties […]
The 1798/7 Draped Bust Dime with 13 Stars on reverse (Buy on eBay) represents an interesting variety for the series and is one of two overdates known for the year. The other overdate contains 16 stars on the reverse. The overdate with 13 stars on reverse is easily the rarer of the two, represented by […]
The 1796 Draped Bust Dime (Buy on eBay) was the first year of issue for the series and one of only two years to carry the small eagle reverse design. The issue is scarce with a mintage of 22,135 pieces, however a surprising number of high grade examples have managed to survive, including multiple examples […]
Under the Coinage Act of 1792, the Draped Bust Dimes were struck from a composition of 89.24% silver and 10.76% copper, with a weight of 2.70 grams (41.67 grains). Both the weight and fineness of individual examples can vary slightly. All coins were struck with a reeded edge and have a diameter of 19 millimeters. […]