U.S. Mint Director Robert Patterson hired German immigrant John Reich in March 1807. Reich had been seeking employment at the Mint since 1801, having arrived in Philadelphia just a year earlier. Reich worked as an Assistant to Chief Engraver Robert Scot. He designed the “Capped Bust” coinage, first appearing on Half Dollars in 1807 and later the Dime in 1809.
Replacing the Draped Bust Dime
Replacing the Draped Bust Dime, Reich’s design portrays Miss Liberty facing left, wearing a Phrygian cap with “LIBERTY” emblazoned across the headband. Below Miss Liberty is the date, surrounded by 13 stars – 7 to the left and 6 to the right. The reverse features a version of the Heraldic Eagle perched on a branch while holding three arrows, a shield on its breast, and “E PLURIBUS UNUM” on a scroll above. The denomination “10 C.” is at the bottom of the coin.
1809: 51,605 mintage.
1810: No 1810-dated coins were struck.
1811: 5,109 mintage. All 1811-dated coins are the 1811/09 overdates.
No Capped Bust Dimes were again struck until 1814. Of the 421,500 coins minted, there were three varieties: a large date, a small date, and a small variety with the words “STATESOFAMERICA” pushed together as one word.
Capped Bust Dime Varieties
By 1817, Reich had worked for the U.S. Mint for over a decade. He had received neither any recognition for his services nor a raise. Acting on his frustration, he resigned. His design lived on for another twenty years.
It was not until 1820 that Capped Bust Dimes was again struck. The Mint struck 942,587 coins and did them in all three varieties as previously – large 0, small 0 Variety, and a “STATESOFAMERICA” variety. Over 1 million coins were struck dated 1821, split between large and small date varieties. However, only 200,000 1822-dated coins were struck, which is rare in any grade.
440,000 coins were struck dated 1823 – all of them were overdates 1823/2 – and there are coins struck with large E’s and small E’s. There are two varieties of 1824-dated coins, all overdates of 1824/2. There is a flat top 1 and a pointed top 1. It is unknown how many coins were struck in 1825, but a significant number of coins have used that date, but no coins are dated 1826.
1827 saw 1,215,000 coins struck with a flat top 1 in 10C and a pointed top 1 in 10c. 1828 has two major varieties – a large date with a curl base 2 and a small date with a square base 2, split between 125,000 coins.
Capped Bust Dime Mintage
1829: 770,000 mintage. Struck in four varieties. The notable of the four is the design with the curl base two.
1830: 510,000 mintage. Struck in three varieties.
1831: 771,350 mintage.
1832: 522,500 mintage.
1833: 485,000 mintage. Struck in two varieties.
1834: 635,000 mintage. Struck in two varieties, with a small and large 4.
1835: 1.4 million mintage.
1836: 1.2 million mintage.
1837: 359,500 mintage.
