Bust Dime

In 1796, the first ten cent coins were made for the United States. Bust Dime coins had the Draped Bust Liberty design on the obverse side, as other coins did at the time. This Liberty is so named because of the bit of robe visible around her chest and shoulders. She is also distinguishable from earlier coin depictions of Liberty due to her relatively orderly hair and seemingly triumphant (as opposed to harassed) appearance. On the reverse side of bust dime was another standard design: a small eagle, pictured hovering or flying above a cloud. The eagle was surrounded by a wreath, in turn bounded by the words “United States of America.” This design would soon undergo some revision. Just two years after the first dimes were minted, this eagle would be enlarged, reflecting America’s growing confidence as a young nation. Like other coins of the time, it was made of copper and silver.

The plan for bust dime was to add a star to the “head” side whenever America was joined by a new state. However, once the sixteenth star was put in, minters realized that Liberty was becoming a little cramped, and decided to keep the number of stars down to thirteen, representing the thirteen colonies that became the thirteen “original” states.

Capped Bust Dime

In 1808, there was a moratorium on all dime production, followed the next year by a design change. Early Dimes followed the course of other coins by later adopting the Capped Liberty design, in which Liberty wears a cloth headdress. The last Capped Liberty dime—and indeed, the last of the Early Dimes—was minted in 1837. As far as investments go, the Draped Bust dimes are quite good. Prices do not surge, but at least rise steadily.

Bust Dime Fair Market Values in U.S. Dollars (1796-1837)

Date/Type	G4	VG8	F12	VF20	XF40	AU50	AU53	AU55	AU58	MS60
Draped Bust
**1796	$2,850	$3,510	$5,310	$7,250	$12,340	$18,130	$18,750	$19,690	$21,250	$26,880
**1797 16 Stars	$2,970	$3,660	$5,440	$7,440	$12,810	$18,440	$20,000	$21,880	$24,690	$29,810
**1797 13 Stars	$3,060	$4,230	$5,690	$7,690	$13,130	$19,190	$20,440	$22,500	$25,630	$31,880
Heraldic Eagle
*1798/97 16 Star Rev.	$660	$960	$1,320	$1,860	$3,310	$4,940	$5,440	$6,630	$10,310	$10,720
**1798/97 13 Star Rev.	$2,400	$3,330	$5,100	$7,020	$13,750	$28,130	$35,630	$44,380	$56,250	$64,380
*1798	$600	$840	$1,260	$1,560	$3,310	$4,470	$4,840	$5,340	$6,410	$9,810
*1798 Small 8	$990	$1,410	$2,130	$4,650	$8,310	$10,560	$12,060	$13,130	$15,630	$21,880
*1800	$690	$1,020	$1,590	$2,250	$4,440	$6,190	$9,060	$11,090	$16,880	$25,000
*1801	$660	$990	$1,590	$2,700	$6,310	$11,880	$13,440	$16,560	$26,880	$31,880
**1802	$1,500	$2,130	$2,640	$4,380	$9,690	$13,750	$15,630	$23,560	$31,880	$37,500
*1803	$810	$1,320	$1,860	$2,550	$6,810	$10,440	$13,440	$18,750	$33,130	$54,380
**1804	$3,150	$5,530	$11,560	$24,560	$39,380	$68,130	$76,880	$99,380	$187,500	--
*1805	$660	$920	$1,260	$1,470	$2,560	$3,910	$4,220	$5,060	$5,810	$6,940
*1807	$600	$840	$1,140	$1,320	$2,500	$3,690	$4,160	$4,530	$5,690	$6,250
Capped Bust
1809	$104	$264	$510	$690	$1,290	$2,220	$2,370	$2,550	$3,060	$4,380
1811 over 9	$138	$210	$360	$510	$1,170	$1,530	$1,620	$1,720	$1,860	$2,840
1814 Small Date	$46	$78	$150	$300	$600	$930	$1,050	$1,160	$1,290	$2,060
1814 Large Date	$35	$54	$74	$180	$510	$660	$730	$930	$1,020	$1,470
1820 Large 0	$32	$42	$54	$150	$390	$588	$640	$690	$780	$1,020
1820 Small 0	$39	$56	$77	$228	$480	$610	$650	$780	$1,170	$1,380
1821 Small Date	$36	$53	$70	$210	$510	$930	$1,020	$1,140	$1,230	$1,320
1821 Large Date	$35	$46	$60	$168	$450	$640	$670	$750	$850	$1,050
*1822	$870	$1,290	$2,190	$3,420	$4,740	$6,530	$7,090	$7,970	$10,310	$11,690
1823 3 over 2	$33	$53	$61	$110	$390	$570	$600	$690	$1,020	$1,320
1824 4 over 2	$35	$78	$150	$510	$630	$990	$1,080	$1,140	$1,620	$1,920
1825	$32	$42	$50	$113	$408	$570	$600	$650	$870	$1,020
1827	$33	$46	$53	$138	$420	$570	$600	$690	$930	$1,170
1828 Lg Date, Curl 2	$71	$150	$222	$366	$660	$1,350	$1,710	$1,920	$2,340	$2,790
1828	$63	$94	$113	$240	$408	$582	$760	$870	$1,290	$1,680
Capped Bust Reduced
1828 Reduced	$41	$60	$84	$192	$330	$450	$640	$750	$990	$1,260
1829	$31	$42	$60	$102	$258	$390	$450	$480	$570	$810
1830 30 over 29	$43	$70	$96	$198	$390	$630	$720	$880	$960	$1,230
1830	$30	$40	$44	$80	$264	$360	$390	$480	$540	$750
1831	$30	$40	$44	$83	$264	$360	$384	$408	$492	$720
1832	$30	$40	$46	$82	$258	$372	$390	$408	$480	$710
1833	$30	$40	$47	$79	$258	$360	$432	$468	$570	$780
1834	$30	$40	$43	$84	$270	$378	$396	$450	$480	$710
1835	$30	$40	$46	$80	$264	$360	$378	$420	$528	$710
1836	$30	$40	$46	$88	$270	$346	$384	$408	$540	$710
1837	$30	$40	$44	$84	$270	$360	$378	$450	$630	$710