1827 Capped Bust Dime

The story of the 1827

Philadelphia hadn't struck the Capped Bust Dime since 1825. When it came back in 1827, it made 1,215,000. In 1828 the figure was 125,000.

No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1827 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1836 (1,190,000) and the 1821 (1,186,512).

Across Philadelphia's 20 Capped Bust Dime issues, the hardest to find is the 1809 with 51,065 made. The 1827 is one of the easier ones. No Capped Bust Dime of the 1820s had a bigger run.

More on the 1827

The 1827 was the biggest year for the large size Capped Bust dime. Philadelphia delivered 1,215,000, slightly more than the 1,186,512 of 1821. No dimes are dated 1826, so this run filled a gap in supply.

Because so many were made, the 1827 is the most available large size date and the one most collectors choose for a type set of the open collar design. A small number of proofs were also struck and are great rarities. Varieties come from the many dies used and specialists sort them by JR number. In 1828 the Mint moved to the close collar, so the 1827 is the last full year of dimes made the old way. To judge one, check LIBERTY on the cap band, the curls around the face and the eagle's feathers. Wide, uneven rims and long denticles are normal for the type and are not damage. It was followed by the transitional 1828, when only 125,000 were made.

Overdates and a million-coin year (1823 to 1827)

The Mint reused old dies by repunching the date. Every 1823 dime shows a 3 over a 2. A total of 440,000 were struck. Small E and Large E versions exist on the reverse. Every 1824 dime shows a 4 over a 2. Mint records lump the dimes of 1824 and 1825 together at 510,000, which references divide as about 100,000 for 1824 and 410,000 for 1825.

No dimes are dated 1826. In 1827 the Mint made 1,215,000, a high total for the time and the last big year of the large size design. Philadelphia was the only mint striking dimes at the time. The 1827 is one of the more available Capped Bust dimes and often turns up in collections as a type coin. Even so, many Americans of the time rarely handled a dime. Spanish reales and half reales still made up much of their small change.

Overdates are easy to spot when the coin is not too worn. Look at the last digit under a magnifier for the curve of the 2 behind the 3 or the 4. Survivors of this period are mostly circulated, often cleaned and sometimes holed. William Kneass became Chief Engraver in these years and later changed the dime's size, so these are among the last dimes struck the old way in an open collar.