1881 Seated Liberty Dime
Base
About This Coin
The 1881 Seated Liberty Dime is a United States dime from the Seated Liberty Dimes 1837-1891 series — a late issue, 45th of 55 years in the series. In 1881, coins were struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a combined mintage of 24,975. This represents the second-lowest annual mintage in the series, 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). Struck during the Gilded Age of rapid industrialization and the great silver debates, when monetary policy shaped elections and economic destiny. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, weighing 2.5 grams, 17.9 mm in diameter, with a reeded edge. Struck two years after the 1879 key date, the lowest-mintage regular issue in the series. Across its variants, estimated values range from $222 to $968 depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $15K in GEM PR66 grade at Stack's. 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.
