1859 Dime Error List with Pictures
Look inside Liberty’s gown, not beneath her, to find this dime’s extra 9. An exceptionally preserved example has a reported $11,100 auction result from January 2023.
This 1859 dime error list follows that misplaced number, with estimated whole-coin values of $100–$12,000. A worn VF30 example sold for $118.12 in October 2024, showing how much condition matters.
Read on to locate the number and distinguish it from an ordinary fold in the gown.
1859 Liberty Seated Dime Misplaced Date in the Gown (Estimated Up to $12,000)
An extra 9 sits in Liberty’s gown just to the right of Y in LIBERTY. Look near the end of the banner across her shield.
On sharp examples, part of another 8 can also appear near the shield. Both are separate from the normal date below Liberty.
A number punch entered the die, the steel stamping tool, in the wrong place. Coins made from it received raised traces of those misplaced numbers.
Collectors call this variety F-103. Older catalog names may describe the same feature, so an extra name does not mean another misplaced date on the coin.
Estimated Value
A worn PCGS VF30 sold for $118.12 at GreatCollections in October 2024. Estimate $100–$400 for circulated coins and $500–$3,000 for many examples without circulation wear.
Exceptional coins occupy roughly $5,000–$12,000. Greysheet reports $11,100 in January 2023 for a PCGS MS67 with CAC approval, showing unusually fine preservation.
These are whole-coin prices. The tiny number helps identify the variety, while the remaining detail and original surfaces explain much of the wide range.
How to Identify
Find Y on the shield’s LIBERTY banner, then move a 10× magnifier just to its right. Compare the extra 9 with a clear F-103 photograph, keeping the banner in view.
A normal gown fold elsewhere is not the same feature. On a sharp coin, the smaller 8 trace near the shield adds support.
Tilt the dime under a lamp to see raised number shapes rather than a scratched trench. The Philadelphia coin has no mintmark, stars around Liberty, and no arrows beside the date.
Inspect the grooved edge for signs of later damage.
Use a scale and calipers to check against 2.49 grams and 17.9 mm, allowing for wear. Begin with the correctly shaped 9 immediately right of Y.
Conclusion
Estimated values for the 1859 misplaced-date dime range from $100 to $12,000. Most worn examples belong near the lower end, while exceptional unworn coins need a very different price comparison.
The small 9 beside Y in LIBERTY is the place to start. Keep the surrounding banner in the photograph so its location is clear.
Once that number matches, judge wear and surface quality across the whole coin before estimating its value.