1880 Seated Liberty Dime Proof
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 1,355 made
- Mintage
- 1,355
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 2.5 g
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1880 Seated Liberty Dime Proof worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1880 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1880 Seated Liberty Dime Proof rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 1,355 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1880 Seated Liberty Dime Proof silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1880 Seated Liberty Dime?
- On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath or inside the wreath, depending on the year. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark.
- How many 1880 Seated Liberty Dime proofs were made?
- 1,355.
What to check on your 1880
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the shield is the key: a full, readable LIBERTY marks a coin in Fine or better. Then check Liberty's head and knee.
Proofs from 1880 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1880
Philadelphia alone and tiny runs (1879 to 1883)
After the huge coinages of 1875 to 1877, the country had more dimes than commerce needed. The Mint was also busy striking Morgan silver dollars under the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which required the Treasury to buy silver every month and coin it into dollars. Philadelphia was the only mint making dimes from 1879 to 1883. It struck just 14,000 in 1879, 36,000 in 1880 and 24,000 in 1881. Those three dates are keys of the late series.
Collectors and dealers noticed the low numbers at the time and saved many of the coins. As a result, these dates are found in uncirculated condition more often than you might expect. Proof mintages were high for the period, with 1,100 in 1879 and 1,355 in 1880, the largest proof run of any Seated dime. With so many proofs made against so few business strikes, attribution takes care.
Demand returned in 1882, when Philadelphia struck 3,910,000. Output rose to 7,674,673 in 1883. No San Francisco dimes were struck from 1878 to 1883 and Carson City had stopped making dimes altogether. Those dates are common. For an 1879, 1880 or 1881, check the date for alteration and the surfaces for signs of a proof, such as deep mirrors and sharp rims. Then compare the luster with a business strike before deciding what you have.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock, her right hand resting on a shield crossed by a scroll reading LIBERTY. Her left hand holds a pole topped by a liberty cap and the date is below. The 1837 and 1838-O coins have nothing else on the obverse. From 1838 to 1860 thirteen stars surround her and from 1860 the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA take their place. Drapery hangs from her left elbow on coins from late 1840 on. Arrows flank the date on most dimes of 1853 to 1855 and of 1873 to 1874. The reverse shows ONE DIME inside a laurel wreath ringed by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA until 1860. After that a larger cereal wreath of corn, wheat, maple and oak leaves surrounds the words. Branch mint marks are on the reverse near the bow.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Dime (1837–1891) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1880 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 1,355 |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 17.9 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0723 troy oz (2.250 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1880 Seated Liberty Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 Seated Liberty Dime | 36,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1880 Seated Liberty Dime Proof | 1,355 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.