1881 Dime Error List with Pictures
An 1881 F-101 Proof with incomplete lettering sold for $715.50 at GreatCollections. A Proof is a specially made collector coin; related regular-strike examples show the same broken S.
This guide to 1881 dime errors follows that letter shape and the date below Liberty. Estimated whole-coin values range from $250 to $2,000.
Read on to see which details separate the recorded feature from a letter weakened by wear.
1881 Liberty Seated Dime Broken and Partial Letters (Estimated Up to $2,000)
The first S in STATES has an incomplete shape on this 1881 dime. The reference also describes a partial O.
Collectors use F-101 for the Proof version and F-101a for the related regular strike. These names identify the tools that made the designs, rather than two unrelated missing-letter errors.
The shared S does not make an ordinary coin a Proof. Nor does the missing stroke alone prove that grease or a broken tool caused it.
Date position supplies another clue. The first 1 lines up with the rim teeth, while the second 8 has a specific position below Liberty’s pendant.
Estimated Value
The F-101 Proof sold for $715.50 at GreatCollections. PCGS described it as Genuine Uncirculated Details: no circulation wear, but a surface problem preventing a normal numerical grade.
Estimate $250–$2,000 for collectible, correctly identified examples of the Proof and regular-strike forms. Finish and surface condition are important to that comparison.
These are whole-coin values. The sale does not establish a separate premium for the missing part of S, or a price for an undamaged high-grade Proof.
How to Identify
Find the first S in STATES through a magnifier and compare its incomplete outline with Fortin’s photographs. Then check the first 1 against the rim teeth and the second 8 below Liberty’s pendant.
All those positions should agree. The partial O should also match the reference, rather than simply look faint from wear.
Look at the whole coin to separate a Proof from a regular strike. A broken-looking S alone cannot determine the finish.
A scale and calipers check the normal 90% silver dime at about 2.50 grams and 17.9 mm. Begin with the S, then confirm the two date positions before naming the variety.
Conclusion
The estimated $250–$2,000 range covers the whole 1881 dime, including its finish and condition. The incomplete S helps identify it, but does not set the price by itself.
Match that letter with the first 1 beside the rim teeth and the second 8 below the pendant. Keep Proof and regular-strike examples separate when comparing prices.
A worn or damaged letter without the matching date positions is a different finding.