1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows)
Proof struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 800 made
- Mintage
- 800
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 2.5 g
- Diameter
- 17.9 mm
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 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows) worth?
This is one of the dates collectors hunt for. A genuine 1873 is valuable in any condition, even well worn. That's exactly why fakes and altered coins turn up so often.
What would make yours worth more:
- Grade and, for proofs, strong cameo contrast
- 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 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows) rare?
- Fairly. The Mint made 800 for collectors. Most were kept in their original packaging.
- Is the 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows) silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1873 Seated Liberty Dime?
- On the reverse, below the bow of the wreath or inside the wreath, depending on the year. Philadelphia dimes have no mint mark.
- How many 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows) coins were made?
- 800.
What to check on your 1873
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Judge the grade under good light. LIBERTY on the shield is the key: a full, readable LIBERTY marks a coin in Fine or better. Then check Liberty's head and knee.
Proofs from 1873 were struck one at a time in small numbers and many were later spent or mishandled. Look for hairlines from cleaning, which lower the grade.
The story of the 1873
Arrows again and the lost 1873-CC (1873 to 1874)
The Coinage Act of February 12, 1873 raised the dime slightly from 2.49 to 2.50 grams to fit a metric standard. Arrows went back beside the date on the new coins of 1873 and 1874. The same act ended the half dime, the three-cent silver piece, the two-cent piece and the standard silver dollar. Before the change, Philadelphia struck 1,508,000 dimes without arrows with a Close 3 in the date. Mint officials complained that the 3 looked too much like an 8, so new date punches with an Open 3 were made and 60,000 more were struck before the arrows arrived.
Carson City struck 12,400 dimes without arrows early in 1873. After the new law took effect nearly all were melted and only one is known today. The arrows coins that followed include 2,377,700 from Philadelphia, 455,000 from San Francisco and 18,791 from Carson City. In 1874 Philadelphia struck 2,939,300, San Francisco 240,000 and Carson City only 10,817. The 1873-CC and 1874-CC arrows dimes are among the hardest CC dimes to find.
To sort an 1873 dime, check for arrows first. Without arrows, look at the 3. On a Close 3 the knobs nearly touch, while on an Open 3 they stand well apart. Arrows dimes of both years are popular type coins, since they are a separate two-year design. The Philadelphia coins are the easy ones in circulated grades.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1873
The Coinage Act of 1873 ended the two-cent piece, the three-cent silver, the half dime and the standard silver dollar. It also created the trade dollar for commerce in Asia. Arrows were added beside the date of dimes, quarters and halves to mark a small weight change. Critics later called the act the "Crime of '73" for dropping the silver dollar.
How to recognize it
Liberty sits on a rock, her right hand resting on a shield crossed by a scroll reading LIBERTY. Her left hand holds a pole topped by a liberty cap and the date is below. The 1837 and 1838-O coins have nothing else on the obverse. From 1838 to 1860 thirteen stars surround her and from 1860 the words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA take their place. Drapery hangs from her left elbow on coins from late 1840 on. Arrows flank the date on most dimes of 1853 to 1855 and of 1873 to 1874. The reverse shows ONE DIME inside a laurel wreath ringed by UNITED STATES OF AMERICA until 1860. After that a larger cereal wreath of corn, wheat, maple and oak leaves surrounds the words. Branch mint marks are on the reverse near the bow.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Seated Liberty Dime (1837–1891) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1873 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Proof |
| Mintage | 800 |
| Face value | 10¢ |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 2.5 grams |
| Diameter | 17.9 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.0723 troy oz (2.250 g) |
| Designer | Christian Gobrecht |
Other 1873 Seated Liberty Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1873 Seated Liberty Dime | 1,508,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873 Seated Liberty Dime (No Arrows, Open 3) | 60,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873 Seated Liberty Dime (With Arrows) | 2,377,700 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof | 1,100 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (With Arrows) | 800 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873-S Seated Liberty Dime | 455,000 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873-CC Seated Liberty Dime | 12,400 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1873-CC Seated Liberty Dime (With Arrows) | 18,791 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
Mintage: US Mint records as published in standard references, each figure checked against at least two independent sources. How we build these pages.