1831 Capped Bust Dime
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 771,350 made
- Mintage
- 771,350
- Metal
- 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper
- Weight
- 2.7 g
- Diameter
- 18.8 mm (to 1827); 18.5 mm (from 1828)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1831 Capped Bust Dime worth?
Collectors pay a real premium for this date, worn or not, because far fewer were made than usual. Uncirculated pieces go much higher.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1831 Capped Bust Dime rare?
- Somewhat. 771,350 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1831 Capped Bust Dime silver?
- Yes. It's 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper and holds 0.0775 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1831 Capped Bust Dime?
- No mint mark. Every Capped Bust dime was struck in Philadelphia.
- Which Philadelphia dates near 1831 are scarcer?
- The 1828 at 125,000, the 1833 at 485,000, the 1830 at 510,000, plus 3 more. So the 1831 is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1831 Capped Bust Dime coins were made?
- 771,350.
What to check on your 1831
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the curls around Liberty's face and the band of her cap, then the eagle's wing feathers and the claws.
Never clean it. Collectors pay strong premiums for original surfaces and natural toning on a date like this. A cleaned coin can lose half its value or more.
The story of the 1831
Output at Philadelphia climbed to 771,350 in 1831, from 510,000 the year before. The next year it made 522,500 (1832).
No other mint struck it for circulation that year, so every 1831 you find is from Philadelphia. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1829 (770,000) and the 1834 (635,000).
Philadelphia struck the Capped Bust Dime in 20 issues between 1809 and 1837. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1809 (51,065). Within the 1830s it's 6th smallest of 8, between the 1834 (635,000) and the 1836 (1.2 million).
The close collar and a smaller dime (1828 to 1831)
In 1828 the Mint began striking dimes in a close collar, a steel ring that held the planchet as it was struck. The collar formed the reeded edge and gave every coin the same diameter. The new dimes are smaller and a bit thicker, about 18.5 millimeters across, with a raised rim and a row of small beads inside it. The design itself stayed the same, with the motto still on the reverse.
Philadelphia struck 125,000 dimes in 1828, in both the old Large Date style and the new Small Date reduced size. The 1828 is the scarce date of this group. Output rose to 770,000 in 1829. That year has several varieties, including the rare Curl Base 2, where the 2 in the date has a curled foot. There are also Small, Medium and Large 10 C. versions. The 510,000 dimes of 1830 include an 1830/29 overdate. In 1831 the Mint struck 771,350.
These coins look neater than earlier dimes because of the close collar, so they are a good place to start a Capped Bust set. For an 1828, check whether yours has the old wide rim and long denticles or the new beaded border. For an 1829, look at the base of the 2 with a magnifier. Collectors call the two styles the Large Size and Small Size types.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1831
New close-collar presses made the quarter smaller and more uniform in 1831. The motto E PLURIBUS UNUM was removed from its reverse.
How to recognize it
Liberty faces left wearing a soft cloth cap, often called a mob cap, with a band across it reading LIBERTY. Curls fall from under the cap down her neck and a clasp holds drapery at her shoulder. Thirteen stars surround her, seven on the left and six on the right, with the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with a shield on its breast and partly raised wings. It holds an olive branch and three arrows, with E PLURIBUS UNUM on a scroll above its head. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA runs around the top and the value 10 C. sits below. Dimes of 1809 to 1827 and some of 1828 have long denticles and wide, uneven rims. Later coins are smaller, about 18.5 millimeters, with a raised rim and a ring of small beads.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Capped Bust Dime (1809–1837) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1831 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 771,350 |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | 89.24% silver, 10.76% copper |
| Weight | 2.7 grams |
| Diameter | 18.8 mm (to 1827); 18.5 mm (from 1828) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0775 troy oz (2.409 g) |
| Designer | John Reich |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.