1866 Dime Patterns

About This Coin

Produced at the Philadelphia Mint in the opening year of the Reconstruction Era pattern program, these 1866 dime experimental pieces tested post-Civil War coinage concepts during a period of fundamental monetary upheaval. The Seated Liberty dime had served since 1837, and by 1866 the design was approaching its thirtieth year, prompting exploration of alternatives alongside the broader Reconstruction design review. The obverse features experimental designs departing from the familiar Seated Liberty, while the reverse tested various compositions in nickel and aluminum alongside silver. A notable auction result of $10K in PR64 at Heritage Auctions confirms collector demand. The dime's position as the smallest silver denomination made it an attractive candidate for compositional experimentation when silver coins had vanished from circulation and base-metal substitutes were being considered. These patterns document the beginning of a four-year creative explosion generating unprecedented volumes of experimental coinage. Some designs also accommodate the newly mandated IN GOD WE TRUST motto, a wartime innovation that 1866 designers had to integrate into existing and proposed layouts.