1803 Draped Bust Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1803 Draped Bust Dime is a United States dime from the Draped Bust Dimes 1796-1807 series — 7th of 10 years in the series. In 1803, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 33,040. This ranks 5th of 10 years by total mintage, 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). Small mintage continued. Die varieties exist. 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 $1.3K to $106K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $48K in AU58 grade at Bowers & Merena. 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.