1863 Dime Error List with Pictures
An 1863 F-101 Proof sold for $5,160 in January 2020. This specially made collector coin has small back-letter features, while a different Proof shows three overlapping impressions of Liberty.
These 1863 dime errors and tool features have estimated whole-coin values from $600 to $8,000. The triple-struck coin brought $2,875 in May 2007.
Read on to compare tiny repeated marks with the much larger evidence of displaced strikes.
1863 Liberty Seated Dime Reverse Die Defects (Estimated Up to $6,000)
Small unusual marks appear at O in ONE and at I and M in DIME. They identify a back die, the steel stamping tool shared by two Philadelphia coin types.
Collectors call the Proof pairing F-101 and the regular-strike pairing F-101a. Both can carry the same little marks.
The specialist description calls them die defects without naming a specific crack or chip. Their exact positions and shapes provide the useful match.
Those marks alone cannot make an ordinary coin a Proof. The complete coin’s finish, rims, and design quality need to agree with its identified method of manufacture.
Estimated Value
The PCGS PR66+ Cameo F-101 with CAC approval sold for $5,160 in January 2020. Cameo means frosted designs contrast with a shiny background.
An NGC MS66 F-101a regular strike brought $4,560 in March 2022. Estimate $600–$6,000 for circulated through high-grade regular strikes and $800–$6,000 for collectible Proofs.
These prices cover complete coins. The small letter defects identify the tool and do not carry an independently priced premium.
How to Identify
Start with the whole coin rather than the tiny marks. A shiny background alone cannot establish a Proof; compare the rims, strike, and finish with a clearly identified example.
Both Philadelphia forms normally weigh about 2.49 grams and measure 17.9 mm. A scale and calipers check the coin but cannot separate the two finishes.
Inspect the grooved edge and confirm that there is no S mintmark. Then use a magnifier at O in ONE and I and M in DIME.
Dirt and scratches need different explanations from repeated tool-made features. The direct first match is the same small marks at all three letters, followed by a separate finish comparison.
1863 Liberty Seated Dime Triple Strike with Obverse Rotation (Estimated Up to $8,000)
Two extra profiles sit to the left of Liberty’s main portrait on a Proof graded NGC PF65. The separated outlines show three blows that did not land in the same place.
Proofs normally receive repeated blows to bring up their design. Those blows should line up, so this shifted sequence is an error.
The coin is described as triple struck with front rotation. The changing position and three impressions belong to the same event.
These large overlapping heads differ from the tiny back-letter marks on ordinary F-101 Proofs. The PF65 grade describes a well-preserved coin, not the number of strikes.
Estimated Value
The NGC PF65 triple strike sold for $2,875 in May 2007. An estimated $2,000–$8,000 gives a comparison range for the documented form in similar condition.
The $5,160 PR66+ Cameo sale belongs to a different Proof with another grade and appearance. Its price should not be added to the triple strike as an error fee.
The separated profiles are the important feature. Ordinary repeated Proof blows, correctly lined up, do not earn the same error premium.
How to Identify
Use a magnifier to follow the two extra profiles left of the main head, keeping each outline separate. Tilt the coin under a lamp; real struck contours should stay in place while reflections move.
Trace where one impression crosses or flattens another, then compare that sequence with the published PF65 photographs. A flat shelf beside a letter does not reproduce three large separated profiles.
A scale and calipers compare the normal Proof with about 2.49 grams and 17.9 mm, and the back and grooved edge should remain intact. The fastest visible check is two recognizable extra heads beside the main portrait, with original overlapping details between them.
Conclusion
Estimated whole-coin values run from $600 to $8,000 across these 1863 features. The small back marks can occur on both regular strikes and Proofs, so they do not determine the finish by themselves.
The triple strike needs a different check: two extra profiles left of Liberty’s main head. Match those overlapping shapes with the recorded coin.
Keep its $2,875 sale separate from the higher-grade $5,160 Proof when comparing prices.