1859 Dime Die Trial - J-A1859-1

Coin Details

Description

This copper die trial of the 1859 dime captures a pivotal moment in American coin design. The year 1859 saw the introduction of the "cereal wreath" reverse on the dime, replacing the plain open wreath used since 1838. More significantly, 1859 was the first year the legend "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" appeared on the obverse of the Seated Liberty dime, transferred from the reverse where it had appeared since the denomination's inception. The obverse features the Seated Liberty figure holding a liberty cap on a pole, with thirteen stars replaced by the national legend, and the date 1859 below. The reverse displays the new agricultural wreath of corn, wheat, maple, and oak enclosing "ONE DIME." This rearrangement of design elements — driven partly by the desire to accommodate the new motto "IN GOD WE TRUST" that would be added during the Civil War — gave the dime a substantially different appearance from its predecessors. A copper die trial from this transitional year is especially valuable because it documents the Mint's execution of these design changes in the testing phase, before committing to silver production of the 610,000 dimes struck in Philadelphia that year.

Rarity Notes

Rare. Copper die trials of Seated Liberty dimes from the 1859 redesign year are extremely scarce, with very few specimens known.

Cross References

Judd-A1859-1