1911-D 10C MS65 Certification #12028890, PCGS #4858

Type: Barber Dime Designer: Charles E. Barber Content: 90% Silver, 10% Copper Weight: 2.50 grams Diameter: 17.90 millimeters Edge: Reeded Mint: Denver Production Strikes: 11,209,000 General Type Description: In 1892, the dime, quarter and half dollar denominations were redesigned. A Liberty Head motif common to all three denominations made its appearance the same year. Known as the Barber dime (named after the designer Charles E. Barber) the ten-cent denomination featured on the obverse Miss Liberty facing right, her hair in a Phrygian cap and wearing a laurel wreath, with the word LIBERTY in tiny letters in a band above her forehead. The inscription UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds, and the date is below. The reverse is of the same design used earlier and features a large wreath enclosing ONE DIME. There was no room for the motto IN GOD WE TRUST on the coin, so it was omitted. It is not generally realized that the obverse design of the dime differs from that of the quarter and half dollar, in that the latter denominations have stars around the obverse periphery. While there are a number of scarcities and rarities in the 1892-1916 series, the exceedingly rare 1894-S dime being famous among them, there are enough common dates that the type set collector will encounter no difficulty acquiring an example in any desired grade from Good to AU. After the ultra-rare 1894-S, the scarce 1895-O will be the date collector’s biggest challenge. Uncirculated pieces are elusive, although hardly rare, while superb Uncirculated coins are more difficult to find. Proofs were minted each year from 1892 to 1915 for collectors, and these can be obtained with some searching. (Source: Bowers, W. David. “United States Coins by Design Types - An Action Guide for the Collector and Investor”. Edited and updated by Mike Sherman, PCGS CoinFacts) Exemplar Notes: CAC certified. Acquired 4/2012 via Heritage Auctions.

Ron Guth

In 1911, production of Dimes at the Denver Mint facility jumped to an unprecedented level of over 11 million coins.  This was a more than three-fold increase over the previous year and was close to the all-time high output of Barber Dimes at Denver.  The reason for this big increase is unknown, but it may have simply been to place more Dimes into circulation in the western states.

This big mintage makes the 1911-D Dime one of the more common dates in the series.  It is not as plentiful as the 1911-(P), but collectors will have no problem finding a Mint State example in all grades up to, and including, MS66.  The best 1911-D Dime is a single PCGS MS67+.