1828 Large Date

The 1828 Large Date Capped Bust Dime is the last issue ever struck on the original 18.8-millimeter large-diameter planchet using open-collar striking, the loose-fitting hand-fed method that had defined the denomination since 1809. Later in the same year Philadelphia retooled the dime line and rolled out the Small Date variety on a reduced 18.5-millimeter planchet inside a close collar, the mechanical retaining ring that squeezed the blank against the dies and produced uniform reeding in a single squeeze. That two-step changeover puts the Large Date at a hard mechanical boundary, with everything before it carrying the older Large Type look and everything after it adopting the modern, machine-grip standard that would dominate United States minor coinage for the rest of the century. The 125,000-piece combined 1828 mintage covers both varieties, and surviving Large Date examples sit at a small fraction of that total, which keeps the issue in genuine Semi-Key territory for the Capped Bust Dime series.

Authentication starts with the date punch itself. Large Date numerals stand noticeably taller and broader than the Small Date figures, with thicker vertical strokes and a 2 whose curled base reads cleanly even on Fine-grade survivors, while Small Date digits sit shorter and narrower with a flat-footed 2. The edge tells the same story from the other side: open-collar Large Date pieces show wider, slightly irregular reeding because the upset rim was free to spread during striking, while close-collar Small Date coins display tight, evenly spaced reeds set by the retaining ring. Weight should hit the 2.7-gram standard for a planchet of .8924 fine silver, and a digital scale that misses by more than a tenth or two flags either heavy wear or an outright fake. Under ten-power magnification, genuine fields show smooth, flowing luster, while cast counterfeits betray a grainy, pebbled texture and rolled-over edge detail. 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 guesswork at the point of sale.

Variety specialists track this issue through die marriages, the distinct obverse-reverse pairings catalogued by JR (John Reich) numbers through the John Reich Collectors Society, and the Large Date is recognized as JR-1 for the year. Most circulated coins fall in Good through Very Fine with original gray toning, where eye appeal and original surfaces drive value far more than a strict grade jump. Mint State (MS) pieces are scarce in any grade and become genuinely rare above MS-63. Because this date sits at the exact mechanical handoff between the Large Type and the close-collar era, well-preserved examples carry demand from both variety hunters and date-set builders chasing the final Large Diameter dime. For full context on design history and how each year fits the 1809 to 1837 run, see the Capped Bust Dime series history.