1821 Large Date

The 1821 Capped Bust Dime marks the moment the denomination first crossed the seven-figure threshold, with Philadelphia striking 1,186,512 pieces across both date-size varieties. That total cleared the 1820 production of 942,587 and stood as the highest Capped Bust output to that point. Within the year, two date-size varieties exist: a Large Date punched with tall numerals and a curled base on the 2, and a Small Date created when an engraver mistakenly reached for the Quarter Eagle date punch. The Large Date is the more available of the pair, but the year as a whole shows survival in only the low thousands across both varieties, which keeps the issue firmly in Semi-Key territory for the series.

Authentication begins at the date itself. The Large Date numerals stand roughly twenty percent taller than their Small Date counterparts, and the 2 shows a distinct curled base rather than the flat foot found on the smaller punch. Weight should hit the 2.7-gram standard for the 18.8-millimeter Large Type planchet struck in .8924 fine silver, with a crisp reeded edge that resists the soft, rolled-over look of a cast counterfeit. Under ten-power magnification, genuine pieces show smooth, lustrous fields between the devices rather than the grainy, pebbled surface that betrays a transfer-die fake. Authoritative third-party grading services (TPGs) such as the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) attribute the date-size variety on the holder label, so a slabbed example removes any ambiguity for the buyer.

Specialists know this date through its die marriages, the unique obverse-reverse pairings that variety collectors track by JR (John Reich) numbers. Multiple Large Date marriages have been catalogued by the John Reich Collectors Society, and several of them carry significant rarity premiums that move independently of the headline Large Date label. Most circulated examples encountered today are common-marriage coins in Good through Fine grades, where original gray-toned surfaces and full LIBERTY on the headband cap drive value. Mint State (MS) pieces, meaning uncirculated coins free of friction wear, are scarce in any grade and become genuinely rare above MS-63, where strong cap detail, sharp star centrils, and undisturbed luster command a meaningful premium. For full context on design, mint output, and how each date fits the broader 1809 to 1837 run, see the Capped Bust Dime series history.