1809 Capped Bust Dime

The story of the 1809

1809 was the first year of the Capped Bust Dime. Philadelphia struck 51,065 of them. After that, Philadelphia didn't make another until 1811.

No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1809 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1811 (65,180) and the 1822 (100,000).

Of the 20 Capped Bust Dimes Philadelphia struck between 1809 and 1837, this is the scarcest.

More on the 1809

The 1809 is where the Capped Bust dime begins. John Reich's design was the first dime to state its value, shown as 10 C. on the reverse. Mint records show 51,065 delivered. No dimes had been struck in 1808 and none followed in 1810, so this small run stood alone.

Its low mintage makes the 1809 a key date and a significant rarity in every grade. An unused obverse die from that year was later given a new date to strike the 1811/09, a direct link between the two scarcest early dates of the type. Most 1809 dimes known today are worn and many show the uneven rims and long denticles of open collar striking. When you check one, confirm the date reads 1809 cleanly with no traces of other digits. Then look for LIBERTY on the cap band and for signs of repair or cleaning. Because the date is valuable, have any example authenticated before you treat it as genuine.

John Reich's dime arrives (1809 to 1814)

No dimes were struck in 1808. In 1809 Assistant Engraver John Reich's Capped Bust design appeared. Liberty wears a cloth cap with a band reading LIBERTY. On the reverse an eagle with a shield holds an olive branch and three arrows, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above. For the first time a dime carried its value, 10 C. The coin was struck on a screw press in an open collar, so it measures about 18.8 millimeters across.

Mintages were small. Philadelphia struck 51,065 dimes in 1809, the first year and a key date. None were made in 1810. The 65,180 coins of 1811 were all struck from an old die with the date 1811 punched over 1809. No dimes were made in 1812 or 1813. Production jumped in 1814 to 421,500. The 1814 comes in Small Date and Large Date forms and in a variety where the words run together as STATESOFAMERICA on the reverse.

Spanish and Mexican silver coins still circulated widely and depositors of silver at the Mint usually asked for larger coins, which explains the gaps. For a dime of these years, check the date carefully. On an 1811 you should see traces of the 09 under the 11. On an 1814 read the reverse legend for spacing. Survivors are usually worn and many have been cleaned.