Seated Liberty Dime Coins FAQs
The Seated Liberty dime, minted from 1837 to 1891, underwent several design modifications during its tenure, resulting in five major varieties:
No Stars (1837-1838): The obverse features Liberty seated without any stars surrounding her. This design was used for the first two years of the series.
Stars on Obverse (1838-1860): Starting in 1838, 13 stars were added around the periphery of the obverse, representing the original 13 colonies.
Arrows at Date (1853-1855): Arrows were added to the obverse on either side of the date to signify a slight reduction in the weight of the coin. This change was made in response to the rising cost of silver.
Legend on Obverse (1860-1891): In 1860, the design was modified to remove the stars from the obverse and replace them with the legend ""UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.""
Arrows at Date, with Legend (1873-1874): Arrows were again added to the obverse on either side of the date, this time to signify a slight increase in the weight of the coin. This variety also has the legend ""UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"" on the obverse.
These five major varieties capture the primary design changes of the Seated Liberty dime over its mintage period. There are also numerous minor varieties and die varieties within these broader categories that are of interest to specialized collectors.