1867 Dime Patterns

About This Coin

Struck at the Philadelphia Mint during the prolific Reconstruction Era pattern program, these 1867 dime experimental pieces explored post-Civil War coinage concepts. The Reconstruction period witnessed extraordinary pattern production as the Mint evaluated new designs, compositions, and denominations to address monetary challenges from wartime inflation and the suspension of specie payments. The dime patterns tested experimental compositions including nickel and aluminum alongside silver, reflecting active investigation of whether base metals could substitute for precious metals in small denominations. The obverse features various experimental designs departing from the established Seated Liberty motif. A notable auction result of $5.0K in Choice Proof at Stack's confirms collector interest. The dime's position as the smallest silver denomination made it a natural candidate for compositional experiments, and the 1867 patterns foreshadow the eventual replacement of the Seated Liberty by Charles Barber's Liberty Head in 1892. The sheer volume of Reconstruction Era patterns reflects a Mint energized by wartime innovation and empowered by Congressional interest in modernizing the monetary system.