Capped Bust Dime

German immigrant, John Reich, worked as an Assistant to US Mint’s Chief Engraver Robert Scot. One of Reich’s first assignments in 1808 was to redesign the Draped Bust dime. Reich’s design had Miss Liberty face left with 13 stars around her – 7 to the left and 6 to the right. The date is below. The reverse depicted an American Eagle, also facing left, with a shield covering her body, an olive branch and arrows in her talons, a banner with “E PLURIBUS UNUM” above, and “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” around the periphery. The denomination, “10C” at the bottom.

The first dimes to bear this new design were dated 1809 and more than 50,000 coins were struck. Although no dimes were dated 1810, a scant 5,109 coins were struck dated 1811, but all were overdates of 1811/09.

Numerous years had more than one variety, such as overdates and both large and small letter and number varieties. These were not uncommon as dies were used and reused with new letters or numerals punched into the die. Dies were scarce in the very early 19^th century.