1867 Seated Liberty Dime

The story of the 1867

Output at Philadelphia slipped to 6,000 in 1867, from 8,000 the year before. In 1868 the figure was 464,000.

The other mint made far more that year: 1867-S alone came to 140,000, roughly 23 for every 1867. If you're checking a pile of 1867 coins, the mint mark is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1866 (8,000) and the 1865 (10,000).

Of the 59 Seated Liberty Dimes Philadelphia struck between 1837 and 1891, this is the scarcest. No Seated Liberty Dime of the 1860s had a smaller run.

More on the 1867

The 1867 has the smallest business strike mintage of any Seated dime: just 6,000 coins. Silver still did not circulate in the East two years after the Civil War. Philadelphia also struck 625 proofs, while San Francisco made 140,000 dimes for use in the West.

The 1867 is a key date and a significant rarity in any grade. Collectors often find the proof easier to locate than a business strike, so check your coin carefully. A proof has mirror fields and sharp details, while a business strike has satiny luster or wear. Look at the 7 under magnification for signs of alteration and make sure no S mint mark has been removed from the reverse. Authentication by a grading service is strongly advised. The 1866 and 1865, at 8,000 and 10,000, are close behind. Together these three years form the hardest run of Philadelphia dimes in the series. Proofs of these years were sold mainly to collectors.

Civil War rarities from Philadelphia (1863 to 1867)

These five years hold the lowest Philadelphia mintages of the series. With silver hoarded in the East, Philadelphia struck only 14,000 dimes in 1863, 11,000 in 1864, 10,000 in 1865, 8,000 in 1866 and 6,000 in 1867. Silver was not circulating in the East, so there was little call for new dimes there. Every one of those dates is a key and even a worn example is a significant rarity. The 1867, at 6,000, has the smallest business strike mintage of any Seated dime.

In California gold and silver kept circulating through the war, so San Francisco carried the load. It struck between 135,000 and 230,000 dimes each year, with the 1864-S the largest at 230,000. The S coins are scarce but far more available than the Philadelphia issues of the same years. Many have heavy wear from years of use in the West.

Proofs were struck at Philadelphia throughout the war, with 460 in 1863 and 725 in 1866. For 1863 to 1867 the proof is sometimes easier to find than a business strike of the same date. That makes careful attribution important. A proof has mirror fields, sharp squared rims and crisp stars and letters, while a business strike has satiny luster or ordinary wear. Altered dates and removed mint marks are a known risk, so have any Philadelphia dime of these years authenticated.

Elsewhere in US coinage in 1867

The rays between the stars on the Shield nickel's reverse were removed early in 1867 because they made the coin difficult to strike.