1888-S Seated Liberty Dime
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 1,720,000 made
- Mintage
- 1,720,000
- 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 1888-S Seated Liberty 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 1888-S Seated Liberty Dime rare?
- Somewhat. 1,720,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1888-S Seated Liberty Dime silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.0723 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1888 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. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1888 are scarcer?
- The 1885-S at 43,690, the 1886-S at 206,524, the 1884-S at 564,969, plus 2 more. So the 1888-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1888-S Seated Liberty Dime coins were made?
- 1,720,000.
What to check on your 1888-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1888 (5.5 million made).
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1888 Seated Liberty Dime Proof (800 made) is the one to compare with.
- 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. 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.
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 1888-S
San Francisco made 1,720,000 in 1888, down from 4.5 million in 1887. The next year it made 972,678 (1889-S).
1888 came to 5.5 million, so neither mint's 1888 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1845 (1,755,000) and the 1878 (1,677,200).
San Francisco struck the Seated Liberty Dime in 29 issues between 1856 and 1891. By mintage this one lands in the more common half, while the key for that mint is the 1885-S (43,690). Within the 1880s it's 7th smallest of 16, between the 1889-S (972,678) and the 1885 (2.5 million).
San Francisco returns and the final Seated dimes (1884 to 1891)
San Francisco struck dimes again in 1884, with 564,969 made. Its 1885-S run was just 43,690, the key of the 1880s and a coin that is rare in every grade. The 1886-S, at 206,524, is also scarce. An S added to a common Philadelphia coin is the main trick to watch for on both dates. From 1887 on San Francisco produced far more, with 4,454,450 in 1887 and between 972,678 and 3,196,116 a year after that. Collectors list two sizes of S on the 1890-S.
Philadelphia's mintages climbed unevenly, from 2,532,497 in 1885 to 11,283,229 in 1887 and 9,910,951 in 1890. In 1891 it struck 15,310,000, the largest dime mintage of the series. New Orleans returned that year after more than thirty years with 4,540,000. Some 1891-O dimes show an O punched over an earlier O that was placed on its side.
Charles Barber's new design replaced the Seated dime in 1892, ending a run of fifty five years. The late Philadelphia dates are common and good choices for a type set in higher grades. The 1891 is among the easiest Seated dimes to find in uncirculated condition. Proof production stayed between 590 and 930 a year from 1884 to 1891. If you have an S dime from 1885 or 1886, though, read the date and mint mark carefully, since both are worth having checked by an expert.
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 | 1888 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 1,720,000 |
| 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 1888 Seated Liberty Dime issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1888 Seated Liberty Dime | 5,495,655 | Circulation strike | 0.0723 oz |
| 1888 Seated Liberty Dime Proof | 800 | Proof | 0.0723 oz |
| 1888-S Seated Liberty Dime | 1,720,000 | 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.