The 1891 Liberty Seated Dime

The Liberty Seated motif of the 19th century was one of the longest-running design types in U.S. coinage not to feature a U.S. president. Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the Liberty Seated design was featured on the dime from 1837 through 1891. The Liberty Seated Dime series features a multitude of key dates, semi-key dates, scarce dates, and varieties. The last year of the series, 1891, presents the collector an interesting mix of coins, with some common issues, rare varieties, and even a proof.

There are several pieces the collector should be looking for among the 1891 Liberty Seated Dimes, including:

• 1891 – 15,310,000 struck
• 1891 Doubled Die Obverse – Mintage included above
• 1891 Proof – 600 minted
• 1891-O – 4,540,000 produced
• 1891-O, O Over Horizontal O – Mintage included above
• 1891-S – 3,196,116 made

By and large, the three primary business strikes are common in the lower circulated grades. Any of the three can be obtained for around $30 in G4 or $50 in F12. Even in MS63 they can be had for less than $500. But it’s in the higher Mint State grades where scarceness becomes a factor for the 1891, 1891-O, and 1891-S Liberty Seated Dimes. They’re all four-figure coins in MS66.

Proofs cost around $650 in PR63, with those in PR65 garnering around $1,500. Meanwhile, the rare 1891-O O Over Horizontal O is a more formidable piece, with prices of $450 in F12, if you can find one at all. Those who desire a higher grade will need to ante up somewhere in the low four figures for anything grading XF40 or better. Finally there is the 1891 Doubled Die Obverse Dime, a rare variety that can set collectors back upward of $100.