1871 Seated Liberty Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1871 Seated Liberty Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Dimes 1837-1891 series — 35th of 55 years in the series. In 1871, coins were struck at the San Francisco, Philadelphia, and Carson City Mints with a combined mintage of 1.2 million. This ranks 20th of 55 years by total mintage, below the series median of 2.1 million. The obverse features Liberty seated on a rock, holding a pole surmounted by a Phrygian liberty cap in her left hand and a shield inscribed LIBERTY in her right and the reverse displays an agricultural wreath enclosing the denomination (through 1859) or a wreath enclosing ONE DIME with the inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1860-1891). Minted during Reconstruction and the Gilded Age, as the nation healed from civil war and debated the role of silver and gold in the monetary system. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 2.48 grams, 17.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Produced 8 years before the celebrated 1879 key date. Across its variants, estimated values range from $24 to $176K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $270K in MS65 grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by James Barton Longacre.
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.
