Draped Bust Dimes 1796-1807

About This Series

America's first dime series emerged from Robert Scot's engraving shop at the Philadelphia Mint, placing a Draped Bust portrait of Liberty on the nation's smallest silver denomination. Early issues from 1796-1797 pair the portrait with a delicate Small Eagle reverse, while 1798 brought the more imposing Heraldic Eagle design that would carry the series through 1807. Total mintages remained modest throughout — the entire 1796 production numbered just 22,135 coins — making every date in this series genuinely scarce by modern standards. The 1797 with 16 Stars is a celebrated variety reflecting Tennessee's admission to the Union, while the 1804 features a reverse with 14 stars rather than the standard 13, creating one of the series' most notable die varieties. Struck in .8924 fine silver at a weight of 2.70 grams, these diminutive 19mm coins circulated extensively in the cash-dependent commerce of the early republic. Collectors pursuing a complete date run face significant challenges, as several years saw minimal production and surviving examples in higher grades are genuinely elusive. The series represents the foundational chapter in American dime coinage, establishing the denomination that would continue uninterrupted for over two centuries.

Series Information