1802 Draped Bust Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1802 Draped Bust Dime is a United States dime from the Draped Bust Dimes 1796-1807 series — 6th of 10 years in the series. In 1802, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 10,975. This represents the lowest annual mintage in the entire series, below the series median of 33,840. The obverse features Liberty facing right with draped bust and ribbon-bound hair, designed after a Gilbert Stuart portrait and the reverse displays a small, naturalistic eagle perched on a palm branch within a wreath (1796-1797) or a heraldic eagle with shield on breast, olive branch and arrows in talons, with a banner reading E PLURIBUS UNUM (1798-1807). Very low mintage year. Early dimes were not widely used in commerce due to their small size. Struck in 89.2% silver, 10.8% copper, weighing 2.7 grams, 19.8 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Across its variants, estimated values range from $1.9K to $79K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $82K in MS62 grade at Stack's Bowers. Designed by Robert Scot.
Value Estimates
Values as of May 2026 — range across all strike types, reflecting typical grades (G-4 through MS-63). Coins in lower or exceptional grades may fall outside this range.
Specifications
Strike Types & Varieties(1)
Other Base Coins in This Series
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