Barber Dime
Photo credits and rights on the linked coin profile.
United States • 90% silver, 10% copper
Issue years: 1892–1916
Fine silver: 0.072339 troy oz
United States • 10 U.S. cents
Seated Liberty Dime — Increased 2.5-Gram Standard
Matching increased-weight Seated Liberty dimes use the reference’s 2.5 gross grams, 90% silver and .0723 fine silver troy ounce. Included years are 1873–1874 with arrows and every year from 1875 through 1891 without arrows. The 1873 No Arrows issues are excluded from this reference.
Photograph by Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; PD-US-SI and VRT2013030510011547. · Image source · PD-US-SI; file-specific VRT photographic permission
Photograph by Jaclyn Nash, National Numismatic Collection, National Museum of American History; PD-US-SI and VRT2013030510011547. · Image source · PD-US-SI; file-specific VRT photographic permission
When a fresh spot bid is available, melt values use fine-metal content × spot bid. CashForCoins guide buying offers use the separately configured percentage for each metal. Selected rare/numismatic coins require an appraisal. Dollar amounts remain unavailable when a fresh quote or buying percentage is missing.
Verified coin specifications
- Country
- United States
- Face denomination
- 10 U.S. cents
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Gross weight (grams)
- 2.5
- Fineness
- 0.9
- Fine-metal weight (troy oz)
- 0.0723
- Edge
- Reeded
- Mint
- United States Mint; exact branch depends on dated type
- Mint mark
- No mark, CC, S or O; dated type
- Restrikes
- Patterns, replicas and unverified specialist exceptions excluded
- Issue years
- 1873–1874 Arrows; 1875–1891 No Arrows
Actual source-reviewed issue years for this exact denomination, design and metal/weight scope. Overdates, mint combinations and proof availability remain type-specific; specimen photos and measurements do not certify other examples. 1873–1874 Arrows;1875–1891 NoArrows. All1873 NoArrows excluded.
- Source precision
- The calculation retains the reference .0723 fine silver troy ounce reference. At the full 2.5 g nominal mass, .900 fineness corresponds to 2.25 g of fine silver or approximately .07233918 troy ounce. The reference ASW is rounded; it is not a measured guarantee for a worn specimen. The annual scope comes from observed KM 105 and A92 tables. All 1873 No Arrows coins, patterns, replicas and unverified specialist exceptions are excluded. A photographed Arrows example represents that subtype rather than every reverse or finish in the series.
Calculate this coin’s metal content
Formula: specified fine-metal troy ounces × quantity. Dollar melt value additionally requires an approved current metal price.
Obverse: identify the front
Liberty is seated with a shield and a pole, with UNITED STATES OF AMERICA around the upper border. Arrows beside the date distinguish the included 1873–1874 form. Later 1875–1891 dimes retain the country legend while dropping the arrows. The absence of arrows on a late coin does not restore the reduced weight.
Reverse: identify the back
ONE DIME appears within a broad wreath. Listed mint marks, wreath positions and reverse types distinguish issues within the same nominal material reference. Compare the whole reverse before attributing a CC, S or O coin; not every mint produced a dime in every included year.
History and purpose
The 1873 statute sets the half dollar at 12.5 g and the dime at one fifth of that amount, establishing the 2.5 g nominal standard. The reference KM 105 covers the Arrows form and KM A92 the following No Arrows form. The succeeding Barber dime continues the same .900 nominal silver ratio and 2.5 g gross standard under a different design.
How to identify this variant
An 1873 coin must have the Arrows design to match this reference. Both the date and arrow attribution are necessary. For 1875–1891, check the Legend Obverse design and denomination, then identify mint and reverse details. Do not use the broader Seated Liberty series name to assign 2.5 g to a pre-increase coin.
Understanding its metal content
The selected reference is 2.5 gross grams, .900 fineness and 0.0723 fine silver troy ounce per matching dime. Three matching coins contribute 7.5 reference gross grams and 0.2169 reference fine silver troy ounce. Gross alloy weight includes copper; use fine silver weight for a silver spot-price calculation. A spot quote is per troy ounce, and a reference melt estimate is not a collector valuation or buying offer.
Dates, varieties and composition changes
Actual included years are 1873, 1874, 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1891. The first two years require arrows; the remaining dates use the No Arrows form. The tables distinguish circulation strikes and listed proofs, mint-mark positions, reverse types, a 1876-CC doubled obverse and listed 1891 mint-mark varieties. These are identification distinctions within the same reference, not extra year entries.
| Dated type | Observed years | Identification scope | The reference |
|---|---|---|---|
| KM 105 | 1873, 1874 | Arrows at date only | 2.5000 g / .900 / 0.0723 fine silver troy oz |
| KM A92 | 1875, 1876, 1877, 1878, 1879, 1880, 1881, 1882, 1883, 1884, 1885, 1886, 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890, 1891 | Observed Legend Obverse without arrows; proofs and listed mint/reverse variants share this reference | 2.5000 g / .900 / 0.0723 fine silver troy oz |
Melt value versus collector value
A metal estimate is a reference for silver content, not a collector valuation. Date, mint, condition, original surfaces, finish and attribution can matter more than the silver amount. Keep certification labels and provenance with the coin and avoid cleaning or polishing before an appraisal.
Authenticity and condition
Compare complete photographs of both faces and the edge, the readable date and mint mark, and measured mass and diameter. Wear and damage change a specimen's measured weight. A matching photograph or a single scale reading cannot certify authenticity; uncertain dates, altered markings and unusual surfaces need individual examination.
Selling this coin
Separate identified weight families before counting a group of Seated Liberty dimes. Keep uncertain pieces aside and describe their dates, mint marks, arrows and finish in a CashForCoins appraisal request. Supply both faces rather than a photograph of a pile. The reference calculation does not establish a buying offer.
Sources and calculation methodology
The calculation retains the reference .0723 fine silver troy ounce reference. At the full 2.5 g nominal mass, .900 fineness corresponds to 2.25 g of fine silver or approximately .07233918 troy ounce. The reference ASW is rounded; it is not a measured guarantee for a worn specimen. The annual scope comes from observed KM 105 and A92 tables. All 1873 No Arrows coins, patterns, replicas and unverified specialist exceptions are excluded. A photographed Arrows example represents that subtype rather than every reverse or finish in the series.
Common questions
Are all 1873 Seated Liberty dimes included?
No. The 1873 scope requires Arrows. The No Arrows dated references are excluded; the year alone does not establish the weight family.Does a silver-content estimate establish a buying offer?
No. It gives a metal reference for an identified type. Authentication, condition, finish and collector demand require individual evaluation.Should a worn dime weigh exactly the reference amount?
No. The nominal reference is separate from an actual worn specimen. Record measured mass, readable date and complete photographs; do not authenticate or select a weight family from a scale reading alone.References
- NGC: KM 105 Seated Liberty dime dated table — Observed annual rows, design and gross/fineness/ASW reference; no prices reproduced Identity and dates: KM 105 actual observed rows; weight 2.5000 g and fineness 0.9000. Diameter is not stated in the inspected dated table; no numerical diameter is assigned from it. (checked 2026-10-12)
- NGC: KM A92 Seated Liberty dime dated table — Observed annual rows, design and gross/fineness/ASW reference; no prices reproduced Identity and dates: KM A92 actual observed rows; weight 2.5000 g and fineness 0.9000. Diameter is not stated in the inspected dated table; no numerical diameter is assigned from it. (checked 2026-10-12)
- U.S. coinage laws: 1853 reduction and 1873 metric weight — 1837 .900 alloy with copper; 1853 192-grain half dollar and one-fifth dime; 1873 12.5-gram half dollar and one-fifth dime (checked 2026-10-12)
- U.S. Mint: Act of January 18, 1837 — 41.25-grain early dime and .900 silver/copper standard; context for the later weight changes (checked 2026-10-12)
Issue-year references
Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-12. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.
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