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Draped Bust Ten Cent 1796 - 1807
The first dimes were produced two years after the first half dimes, half dollars
and dollars, the 1796 dimes, unlike the "Flowing Hair" design on other early coin
issues, first went into production with the new "Draped Bust" design.
Draped Bust 10 Cent with Small Eagle
Vital Stats.
Designer:
Type 1 - Obverse by Robert Scot, reverse by John Eckstein
Type 2 - Obverse by Robert Scot, reverse by Robert Scot
Diameter: 19.8 millimeters
Content: 89.2% silver 10.8% other
Weight: 2.7 grams
Edge: Reeded
Mint Mark Location: None (all coins were minted in Philadelphia)
Year/
Mint Mark | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1796 | 22,135 |
| 1797 | 25,261 |
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Type 1
Small Eagle
1797 16 Stars Type 2 Example
1797 13 Stars Type 3 Example
When production of dimes finally began the original coin design (flowing hair)
had been replace by the Draped Bust design. The dime had missed an entire design
cycle. The 1796 dime has fifteen stars, one for each state in the Union at that
time. In 1797 some dimes were struck with sixteen stars (reflecting Tennessee’s
admission as the 16th state). Realizing that it would not be possible to continue
adding stars, the design was changed to thirteen stars to symbolizing the thirteen
original states.
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Draped Bust 10 Cent with Heraldic Eagle
Year/
Mint Mark | Circulation
Strikes |
| 1798 | 27,550 |
| 1800 | 21,760 |
| 1801 | 34,640 |
| 1802 | 10,975 |
| 1803 | 33,040 |
| 1804 | 8,265 |
| 1805 | 120,780 |
| 1807 | 165,000 |
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Type 2
Heraldic Eagle
One trait it did have in common with other early issues was the fact that it had
nothing that revealed its denomination. The reverse did undergo a change soon after
going into production, the Small Eagle on the reverse of 1796 to 1797 was replaced
by the Heraldic Eagle reverse of 1798 to 1807.
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