History of the Seated Liberty Dime
The Seated Liberty dime spanned half a century of American history, from the age of Jackson to the dawn of the Barber coinage. Liberty sits on a rock holding a shield and pole — a design used across every silver denomination of the era. The long run includes numerous subtypes: stars added, arrows at the date marking weight changes, and legends replacing stars.
Carson City issues from the early 1870s are the glamour coins of the series; the 1873-CC No Arrows is unique, and other early CC dimes bring five and six figures. Common Philadelphia dates of the 1880s, meanwhile, remain surprisingly affordable for coins nearly 150 years old.
The Seated Liberty dime was struck from 1837 to 1891 in 90% silver. The design is the work of Christian Gobrecht. Each coin weighs 2.49 grams (later standard). Production took place at Philadelphia, New Orleans (O), San Francisco (S) and Carson City (CC).
How much is a Seated Liberty dime worth?
Like every collectible coin, the value of a Seated Liberty dime comes down to grade, rarity and demand. The ranges below are approximate retail prices collectors pay for problem-free examples — coins that have been cleaned, scratched or holed usually trade well below these figures.
Printed price guides age quickly. The most honest benchmark is what comparable coins actually sold for, which is why CoinVault Pro shows live values built on Numista catalog data and real eBay sold results whenever it identifies a coin.
- Common dates, Good: $12–$20
- Common dates, Fine: $20–$35
- Common dates, XF: $50–$90
- MS-63: $250–$450
- Carson City issues (1871–74): $500–$100,000+
How to identify a genuine Seated Liberty Dime
Before you get excited about a potential find, confirm that the coin in your hand matches the genuine article. Work through this checklist:
When a coin fails any of these checks, treat it with suspicion. Modern counterfeits can be convincing at arm's length, but weight, dimensions and die details rarely lie.
- Arrows beside the date (1853–55 and 1873–74) mark weight-change subtypes collected separately.
- Mint marks appear on the reverse, inside or below the wreath.
- Early CC dimes are heavily counterfeited — certification is advised for any Carson City example.
Check your Seated Liberty dime with CoinVault Pro
The fastest way to find out what you have is to photograph the coin with CoinVault Pro. The app identifies it using Gemini AI combined with Coin-CLIP image matching, estimates a grade on the full Sheldon 1–70 scale, and shows live market values built on Numista catalog data and real eBay sold prices.
From there you can add the coin to your collection, track its value over time, put upgrades on your wishlist, or list it on the in-app marketplace with escrow protection. The app is free to download on iOS and Android.