1879 10C MS66 认证号80564692, PCGS号4687

Ron Guth

In 1879, the production of Dimes took place only at the Philadelphia Mint, and the mintage was so small that one wonders why they even bothered.  It was barely cost-effective to produce the dies and blanks, set up the press, and strike off 14,000 coins.  However, for collectors, the creation of this rarity was a boon.  Perhaps collectors were aware of the small mintage, as they put aside large quantities of Mint State examples.  PCGS alone has certified over 200 Uncirculated 1879 Dimes.  The high survival rate makes this an affordable rarity and, certainly, a good value.

Gerry Fortin has identified five different die pairs that were used to strike 1879 Dimes.  This is an unusually large number for a date with such a low mintage, but it should be noted that four of the die pairs started out as Proofs, and three of those die pairs were used to strike Mint State examples at a later date.