1804 Dime Die Trial - J-A1804-2, Private Restrike

Coin Details

Auction Record

$38,400 AU58+BN 04-25-2021 Heritage Auctions

Description

This copper die trial of an 1804 dime is a private restrike, meaning it was produced outside of official Mint operations using original or reproduction dies, decades after the original date. The 1804 Draped Bust dime features Robert Scot's classic Liberty portrait on the obverse — a right-facing bust of Liberty with flowing hair and drapery, "LIBERTY" above, and the date 1804 below, flanked by stars. The reverse displays the Heraldic Eagle design with a shield on its breast, holding an olive branch and arrows, with "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" around the border and "10 C." below. Private restrikes of early American dies are a fascinating byproduct of the 19th-century collecting market. During the mid-1800s, individuals with access to retired Mint dies — sometimes Mint employees themselves — produced impressions in various metals for sale to the growing community of coin collectors. These pieces occupy a unique position in numismatics: they are genuine products of official dies but were not struck as authorized coinage. The copper composition allowed collectors to acquire an impression of these rare dies without the expense of precious metal.

Rarity Notes

Very rare. Private restrikes of early dime dies are known in only a small number of specimens.

Cross References

Judd-A1804-2