Mintage: 2,340,000.

Date Acquired: 6 April 2006.

Variety: F-104.

About This Coin: Got this coin for a pretty decent price (sold as a VF) from a seller in the UK. I suspect the reverse "crud" might be at least partially removable with safe methods, but I'll see about that when I have the coin in hand. I'd rather have the coin like this than mess it up. A little olive oil followed by distilled water might help a bit. If not, I'll leave it as is. It's nice enough even as is.

Surfaces are very nice, mostly mark free and the coin is obviously extremely original. While probably a choice VF by old-time grading standards, it's probably a commercial EF today given the reverse detail. It might be better described conservatively as VF-30 or 35.

This date, while listed and priced as a very common date, is rather underrated. Particularly in choice VF and above, this date just doesn't appear in anywhere near the numbers you'd expect for its mintage. Some have speculated that many 1877-S dimes were never released and were melted to mint Morgan silver dollars the following year per the Bland-Allison Act. While not confirmed, this would be a plausible explanation as to why this date appears far less than its mintage would indicate, and perhaps might also indicate that this date is a "sleeper" with value not yet realized by the market.

seated dime home here!

Most recently updated: 22 February 2008

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