Values
A Seated Liberty dime’s market depends on the date, the mint mark, the type, and the grade. This page is a series reference, not a price list.
The G, VF, and MS-63 columns sit in the mintage chart below. Those figures are from the NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. They are a published guide, not an offer and not melt. A blank cell means that grade was not printed in this pass.
A dealer looking at the coin in hand will beat a guide number. If you are trying to sell a pile of them, start with how to sell a coin collection and the Ohio coin dealer directory.
Key Dates
PCGS CoinFacts and NGC named no traditional key-date list for this series in this pass. This page will not invent one. Do not call every low printed mintage a key.
There is no key-date bolding on the mintage chart for that reason. A worn common date is still worn.
Errors
These are named varieties. This page will not invent a count.
No stars, stars, arrows, and legend. Those are type changes across the run. They are not errors.
1873 Closed 3 / Open 3 / arrows. NGC printed separate mintages. They already have their own rows in the chart below.
Doubled dies. NGC names some. They stay off this chart unless a mintage was printed. This pass did not add those rows.
Compare the coin in hand to the NGC Coin Explorer Seated dime page. We do not host their plates.
Varieties
No stars, stars, arrows at the date, and the later legend are type changes. They are not errors. Weight changes when the standard changes. This page does not list every die marriage inside a type.
- No starsThe 1837 start, and some 1838 coins, have no stars on the obverse.
- StarsStars replace the empty obverse before the legend moves up. Arrows at the date sit on top of this idea in the weight-change years.
- Arrows at the dateArrows mark the weight change. NGC already splits 1873 Closed 3, Open 3, and arrows onto their own rows.
- Legend obverseUNITED STATES OF AMERICA moves to the obverse. That later type runs to the end of the series in 1891.
Names follow PCGS CoinFacts and NGC, the same publishers this site already cites. This is a name list, not a price list and not a count.
Mintage
Seated Liberty dimes were struck at Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City. The counts below are the NGC Coin Explorer cells that printed a mintage in this pass.
| Year | Mint | Mintage | NGC ID | G | VF | MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1837 | P | 682,500 | 14561 | $37 | $280 | $2,750 |
| 1838 | O | 406,034 | 14564 | $85 | $455 | $8,850 |
| 1839 | P | 1,053,115 | 14571 | $20 | $100 | $900 |
| 1839 | O | 1,291,600 | 14572 | $30 | $150 | $2,200 |
| 1840 | P | 981,500 | 14573 | $25 | $100 | $1,000 |
| 1841 | P | 1,622,500 | 14579 | $15 | $55 | $775 |
| 1842 | P | 1,887,500 | 14581 | $16.50 | $35 | $775 |
| 1842 | O | 2,020,000 | 14582 | $35 | $250 | $5,100 |
| 1843 | P | 1,370,000 | 14583 | $17 | $55 | $800 |
| 1843 | O | 150,000 | 14584 | $145 | $1,300 | — |
| 1844 | P | 72,500 | 14585 | $215 | $810 | $17,750 |
| 1845 | P | 1,755,000 | 14586 | $20 | $50 | $860 |
| 1845 | O | 230,000 | 14587 | $75 | $625 | — |
| 1846 | P | 31,300 | 14588 | $410 | $1,300 | $61,000 |
| 1847 | P | 245,000 | 14589 | $32 | $90 | $3,375 |
| 1848 | P | 451,500 | 14590 | $40 | $95 | $975 |
| 1849 | P | 839,000 | 14591 | $28 | $100 | $1,175 |
| 1849 | O | 300,000 | 14592 | $40 | $255 | $6,000 |
| 1850 | P | 1,931,500 | 14593 | $23 | $85 | $765 |
| 1850 | O | 510,000 | 14594 | $25 | $105 | $3,000 |
| 1851 | P | 1,026,500 | 14595 | $22 | $75 | $850 |
| 1851 | O | 400,000 | 14596 | $40 | $130 | $4,750 |
| 1852 | P | 1,535,500 | 14597 | $20 | $65 | $750 |
| 1852 | O | 430,000 | 14598 | $35 | $275 | $3,800 |
| 1853 | P | 12,078,010 | 14603 | $16.50 | $65 | $600 |
| 1854 | P | 4,470,000 | 14605 | $16.50 | $65 | $620 |
| 1854 | O | 1,770,000 | 14606 | $20 | $50 | $1,125 |
| 1855 | P | 2,075,000 | 14607 | $25 | $60 | $850 |
| 1856 | S | 70,000 | 14613 | $200 | $975 | $18,000 |
| 1857 | P | 5,580,000 | 14614 | $15 | $30 | $580 |
| 1857 | O | 1,540,000 | 14615 | $24 | $50 | $800 |
| 1858 | P | 1,540,000 | 14616 | $17 | $50 | $500 |
| 1858 | S | 60,000 | 14618 | $275 | $1,000 | $25,000 |
| 1858 | O | 290,000 | 14617 | $31 | $145 | $2,500 |
| 1859 | P | 429,200 | 14619 | $17 | $40 | $600 |
| 1859 | S | 60,000 | 14621 | $300 | $1,800 | $38,500 |
| 1859 | O | 480,000 | 14620 | $27 | $75 | $690 |
| 1860 | P | 606,000 | 14631 | $16 | $30 | $475 |
| 1860 | S | 140,000 | 14622 | $100 | $345 | $8,700 |
| 1861 | P | 1,883,000 | 14633 | $15 | $35 | $340 |
| 1861 | S | 172,500 | 14634 | $75 | $475 | $13,000 |
| 1862 | P | 847,000 | 14635 | $19 | $35 | $425 |
| 1862 | S | 180,750 | 14636 | $100 | $650 | $9,375 |
| 1863 | P | 14,000 | 14637 | $940 | $1,400 | $2,800 |
| 1863 | S | 157,500 | 14638 | $155 | $600 | $11,500 |
| 1864 | P | 11,000 | 14639 | $600 | $1,350 | $2,775 |
| 1864 | S | 230,000 | 14640 | $100 | $475 | $2,850 |
| 1865 | P | 10,000 | 14641 | $500 | $1,100 | $2,300 |
| 1865 | S | 175,000 | 14642 | $85 | $615 | $13,250 |
| 1866 | P | 8,000 | 14643 | $600 | $1,700 | $2,750 |
| 1866 | S | 135,000 | 14644 | $55 | $450 | $8,250 |
| 1867 | P | 6,000 | 14645 | $750 | $1,275 | $2,700 |
| 1867 | S | 140,000 | 14646 | $75 | $475 | $6,400 |
| 1868 | S | 260,000 | 14648 | $25 | $275 | $2,250 |
| 1869 | S | 450,000 | 14650 | $20 | $210 | $1,300 |
| 1870 | P | 470,500 | 14651 | $15 | $45 | $550 |
| 1870 | S | 50,000 | 14652 | $400 | $785 | $3,750 |
| 1871 | P | 906,750 | 14653 | $16 | $35 | $710 |
| 1871 | S | 320,000 | 14655 | $32 | $350 | $3,450 |
| 1871 | CC | 20,100 | 14654 | $3,125 | $10,000 | $140,000 |
| 1872 | P | 2,395,500 | 14656 | $16 | $35 | $350 |
| 1872 | S | 190,000 | 14658 | $40 | $385 | $3,800 |
| 1872 | CC | 35,480 | 14657 | $1,550 | $5,200 | $237,500 |
| 1873 | P ARROWS | 2,377,700 | 14665 | $20 | $70 | $900 |
| 1873 | P Closed 3 NO ARROWS | 1,506,900 | 14659 | $16 | $70 | $525 |
| 1873 | P Open 3 NO ARROWS | 60,000 | 14660 | $35 | $135 | $1,750 |
| 1873 | S | 455,000 | 14667 | $25 | $200 | $1,600 |
| 1873 | CC | 12,400 | 14661 | — | — | — |
| 1874 | P | 2,939,300 | 14668 | $24 | $120 | $850 |
| 1874 | CC | 10,817 | 14669 | $9,375 | $21,500 | $190,000 |
| 1875 | P | 10,350,000 | 14672 | $16 | $37 | $275 |
| 1876 | S | 10,420,000 | 14681 | $16 | $35 | $375 |
| 1876 | CC | 8,270,000 | 14680 | $30 | $125 | $740 |
| 1877 | S | 2,340,000 | 14684 | $21 | $35 | $315 |
| 1877 | CC | 7,700,000 | 14683 | $30 | $80 | $700 |
| 1878 | CC | 200,000 | 14686 | $275 | $460 | $2,700 |
| 1879 | P | 14,000 | 14687 | $275 | $465 | $675 |
| 1880 | P | 36,000 | 14688 | $235 | $450 | $700 |
| 1881 | P | 24,000 | 14689 | $250 | $440 | $800 |
| 1882 | P | 3,910,000 | 14690 | $25 | $50 | $275 |
| 1883 | P | 7,674,673 | 14691 | $25 | $60 | $255 |
| 1884 | P | 3,365,505 | 14692 | $25 | $50 | $275 |
| 1884 | S | 564,969 | 14693 | $30 | $85 | $1,480 |
| 1885 | P | 2,532,497 | 14694 | $25 | $50 | $225 |
| 1885 | S | 43,690 | 14695 | $1,000 | $2,100 | $9,300 |
| 1886 | P | 6,376,684 | 14696 | $25 | $50 | $250 |
| 1886 | S | 206,524 | 14697 | $50 | $165 | $1,200 |
| 1887 | P | 11,283,229 | 14698 | $25 | $50 | $255 |
| 1887 | S | 4,454,450 | 14699 | $25 | $50 | $295 |
| 1888 | P | 5,495,655 | 14700 | $25 | $50 | $250 |
| 1888 | S | 1,720,000 | 14701 | $28 | $55 | $675 |
| 1889 | P | 7,380,000 | 14702 | $25 | $50 | $245 |
| 1889 | S | 972,678 | 14703 | $28 | $90 | $915 |
| 1890 | P | 9,910,951 | 14704 | $25 | $50 | $250 |
| 1890 | S | 1,423,076 | 14705 | $30 | $70 | $600 |
| 1891 | P | 15,310,000 | 14706 | $25 | $45 | $250 |
| 1891 | S | 3,196,116 | 14708 | $25 | $50 | $400 |
| 1891 | O | 4,540,000 | 14707 | $27 | $55 | $385 |
Mintage: NGC Coin Explorer, retrieved 2026-08-23. A blank year in the prose is a year NGC did not print. These are Explorer manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Collector-standard year/mint presentation follows A Guide Book of United States Coins (the Red Book). These cells are Mint manufacture figures, not a Red Book net or melt.
Values: NGC US Coin Price Guide, retrieved 2026-08-23. Guide values, not offers. Not melt. NGC IDs link to the same publisher’s price-guide listing.
Key date names: NGC Coin Explorer. Bold rows are only dates that publisher named.
NGC ID: NGC Coin Explorer listing number, retrieved 2026-08-21. A dash means this pass did not record an ID.
Years NGC left blank stay off the chart. The grade columns in the same box are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer.
Read the date. Read the mint mark. Look at Liberty’s head and the wreath before you argue type.
Specifications
These are mint specs, not what a dealer pays. Wear can take a little weight off. We will not invent a tolerance.
A Seated Liberty dime is the historic .900 silver dime. Thickness on this page is the later-type Numista figure. Earlier types did not get a copied modern Mint thickness.
| Specification | Figure |
|---|---|
| Diameter | 17.9 mm |
| Thickness | 1.05 mm |
| Weight | 2.67 g no stars / stars; 2.49 g arrows; 2.50 g later legend |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Fine silver | 0.07234 troy oz (2.50 g years only). Melt math uses this figure. It does not appraise a coin. |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Thickness 1.05 mm is the Numista 1875–1891 type page (N#317075). This page will not copy the current Mint dime thickness onto earlier types that page does not measure. Weights are 2.67 g (no stars / stars), 2.49 g (arrows), and 2.50 g (later legend). Fine silver 0.07234 troy oz is the 2.50 g .900 years only.
Grading
A Seated Liberty dime wears first on Liberty’s head and breast, and on the wreath around ONE DIME. Stars, no stars, arrows, and the later legend are type changes, not grades.
This is the historic .900 silver dime. Full detail on the shield is a later conversation, not a G / VF / MS-63 cell.
Key Diagnostic Areas
| Area | What to examine | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Liberty’s head and breast | The head, the cap, and the drape over the chest. | Those high points flatten while the rock can still look busy. |
| The wreath | The leaves around ONE DIME. | The wreath goes slick with Liberty. Read both sides. |
| Date, arrows, and mint mark | The numerals, arrows at the date when they are there, and the mint mark. | Arrows are a type, not a grade. A worn date is a worn dime. |
| Stars or legend | Stars around the rim, or UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the later obverse. | No stars versus stars versus legend is a type change. Missing stars on a legend coin is the type, not wear. |
Circulated & Mint State
These cards describe this coin, not a second copy of the P-1 through MS-70 chart. The shared numbers live on the glossary.
See graded photos. The photos that show what VF looks like live at PCGS. We do not host their plates. NGC Coin Explorer is another look if you want a second set.
What each named grade looks like on this design.
Poor
Poor
A disk you can still call a Seated Liberty dime if you already know the type.
- Liberty’s head and the wreath are gone.
- The date may be a shadow. Do not scrape it.
- Shine does not make this a better coin.
AG
About Good
You might read a digit. The high points on this Seated Liberty dime are already slick.
- Liberty’s head and the wreath are worn to a blank patch.
- If you cannot read the date without hoping, stay here.
- A 1891 is still this grade if it is this worn.
Good
Good
The date is readable. The design is still mostly an outline.
- Liberty’s head and the wreath are flat. The type is an outline, not a portrait.
- The rim should be full enough to hold the legend.
- This is a worn coin, not a details story.
VG
Very Good
The date is clear. A little life returns away from the high points.
- Some leftover detail sits away from liberty’s head and the wreath.
- The high points are still tired.
- Do not clean the date to “see it better.”
Fine
Fine
You can follow the design. The high points are outlined, not sharp.
- Liberty’s head and the wreath are outlined and flat — no real sharpness yet.
- The rest of the coin can look busier than the grade.
- The date should be clear. The mint mark should be too, if there is one.
VF
Very Fine
The type is doing real work. Liberty’s head and the wreath still decide.
- Leftover detail sits on liberty’s head and the wreath. The centers are still the worn spot.
- Marks do not raise the grade.
- A regular 1891 is still this grade if it is this worn.
EF
Extremely Fine
Most of the coin looks sharp. The high points tell on it.
- Light wear on liberty’s head and the wreath.
- The rest of the coin can look better than the grade. Trust the high points.
- The date should be sharp.
AU
About Uncirculated
Almost no wear — and “almost” lives on the same high points.
- A trace of rub on liberty’s head and the wreath.
- Luster may still sit in the fields. Rub on those high points is still rub.
- A bright coin with a slick high point is still slick.
Basal MS
Mint State
No wear. The fight is marks and luster, not how white the coin looks.
- No rub on liberty’s head and the wreath.
- Marks and luster decide how this mint-state coin lives.
- A bright chewed-up coin is still chewed-up.
Choice
Choice Mint State
Still no wear. Cleaner fields than basal mint state.
- Same no-wear rule on liberty’s head and the wreath.
- Fewer marks in the fields. Luster is more intact.
- White is not a grade.
Gem
Gem Mint State
A clean Seated Liberty dime for this type. Still mint state, still not a story.
- No wear on liberty’s head and the wreath.
- Marks and luster, not a romance about a date or a white field.
- A slab is an opinion in plastic. The glossary has the numbers.
Proof Seated dimes exist for part of the run. This page does not invent a PR price grid. The proof numbers live on the glossary.
Copper color designations (BN, RB, RD) do not apply here. Those belong on copper coins such as the Indian Head cent. See the Lincoln Wheat cent and the glossary.
Overview
A Seated Liberty dime is a United States ten-cent coin with Liberty seated on the front and a wreath around ONE DIME on the back. Collectors mean the coins struck from 1837 through 1891. People also call it the Gobrecht dime. Both names point at the same seated design.
People like them because the type run is long and the mint marks give you something to chase. They are also easy to ruin. A wiped silver dime looks “better” to a seller and worse to everyone else.
This page is a series article, not a shop listing.
History
The series starts in 1837 with no stars. Stars arrive, then arrows, then the legend moves onto the obverse. Barber dimes begin in 1892. This page stops at 1891.
This page will not invent a shop list or a missing-year mintage to fill the chart.
Design
Obverse: Liberty seated with a cap and shield, the date, and — depending on the type — stars or UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Reverse: a wreath around ONE DIME. The mint mark sits on the reverse when the coin is not from Philadelphia.
Look at Liberty’s head, the wreath, and the date. Those spots go flat first. Arrows are a type call.
People Also Ask
What years are Seated Liberty dimes?
Circulation Seated Liberty dimes were struck from 1837 through 1891. Not every mint struck every year. This chart is the NGC business-strike rows that printed a mintage. Years NGC left blank stay off the chart.
How much is a Seated Liberty dime worth?
It depends on the date, the mint mark, the type, and the grade. The G, VF, and MS-63 columns in the mintage chart are NGC guide values from 2026-08-23, not an offer. A dealer looking at the actual coin will beat a guide number.
Why do some years look different?
No stars, stars, arrows at the date, and the later UNITED STATES OF AMERICA legend are type changes. They are not errors and not spec changes except where the weight itself changes.
Why is thickness 1.05 mm?
That is the Numista 1875–1891 type-page figure. This page will not copy the current Mint dime thickness onto earlier types that catalog did not measure.
Why are some dates missing?
NGC left those mintage cells blank. This page will not invent a count. Doubled-die listings without a printed mintage stay off the chart.
Is the Seated Liberty quarter or half on this page?
No. This page is the dime. The quarter and the half each have their own page and their own mintage table.
Collector Considerations
Buy the coin, not the story. A common late legend dime in a high grade can cost more than a better date that has already lost its head. That is normal.
If you inherited a box, do not scrub the date to “see it better.” Keep them in the holders they arrived in, or in cheap cardboard flips, and take the box to a person who sees Seated silver every week. The coin dealer directory starts in Ohio. This site does not invent shop names to fill a paragraph.
Raw coins are fine. So are slabs. What is not fine is a coin that has been cleaned until the fields look like glass, then offered as “original.”
If you collect by type, one honest circulated legend dime will teach you the wreath. For the quarter and half of the same design, read the Seated Liberty quarter and the Seated Liberty half. For the dime that follows, read the Barber dime.
A Final Word
Seated dimes reward people who slow down. Read the date. Read the mint mark. Leave the polish under the sink.
When you want the next dime type, the Barber dime is already here.