1809 10C VF35 Certification #13203747, PCGS #4486

Charles Morgan

The 1809 Capped Bust Dime

Bavarian-born engraver John Reich arrived in the United States as an indentured laborer, working to pay off the cost of his passage under silversmith John Brown. Reich’s debt was eventually settled by Henry Voigt in 1801; that same year, Reich was credited with designing the Thomas Jefferson Inauguration Medal (#518703). The medal was Voigt’s concept; he had written to Jefferson in December 1801, suggesting the President support the creation of a medal to honor the 25th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and Jefferson's victory over John Adams in the contentious election of 1800.

Jefferson approved the project, and the finished medal, produced by Reich at the Philadelphia Mint, was delivered to the President. Jefferson was so impressed that he purchased several more examples to give to his daughters. Despite this early success, Reich’s official tenure at the Mint did not begin until 1807, when Mint Director Robert Patterson appointed him as Second Engraver.

There is a growing historical dispute regarding the origin of the Capped Bust Liberty designs. While it has been held for decades that Reich was brought in specifically to modernize American coinage and deserves sole credit for the type, some scholars are re-evaluating the timeline. However, it remains true that Reich’s tenure perfectly coincides with the staged release of these iconic designs.

In Walter Breen’s oft-repeated account, Chief Engraver Robert Scot viewed the talented Reich as a threat to his position. However, due to Scot’s failing eyesight in 1807, Reich was hired as Assistant Engraver. In this role, Reich focused on creating new designs while Scot was utilized for the more mechanical tasks of die production and striking coins. According to Breen, Scot ensured that Reich never received official credit for his work. Reich eventually left the Mint in 1817 due to his own failing health and is not credited with any major works following his departure. Scot, meanwhile, retained his position as Chief Engraver until his death in 1823.

It is difficult to imagine that the Mint would have retained Robert Scot’s services for another sixteen years—spanning multiple presidential administrations—if he were indeed going blind by 1807. Furthermore, it would be a mistake to assert that Scot lacked the talent or experience of John Reich; the designs unequivocally credited to Scot remain among the most iconic in the history of American coinage. Regardless of the debate over their respective contributions, the Capped Bust design was introduced to the dime in 1809.

The design features a left-facing portrait of Liberty wearing a pileus cap, surrounded by thirteen stars and the date. The reverse depicts a naturalistic heraldic eagle perched on an olive branch and holding three arrows, with the denomination "10 C." below.

Collecting the 1809 Capped Bust Dime

Only one die pair (JR-1) was used to strike the 51,065 1809 Capped Bust Dimes (PCGS #4486); of these, 6,355 were delivered in 1810. Mint State examples are frequently toned, and many exhibit characteristic grease stains. A compass mark is present at the center of the obverse, and a small horizontal raised element often seen on Liberty's cheek is the result of die damage. This connects to a vertical crack that runs down Liberty's neck, and on nearly all examples, the lower-left stars lack their radials. Additionally, a thin, arced die line appears within the stars 10–13. On the reverse, most examples exhibit die cracks extending from the dentils through both A's in AMERICA. A final diagnostic marker is noted within the counter of the first A in STATES.

Gem examples are exceedingly rare; the two PCGS MS65 specimens listed in the Condition Census were graded in the 1980s and leave no public auction records. One of the two existing PCGS MS66 examples surfaced in 2020 as part of the Larry H. Miller Collection, realizing a record-breaking price of $60,000.

Most examples survive in the VF or lower grade range. I estimate that approximately 350 gradable examples survie.

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