1828 Small Date Proof

The 1828 Small Date Proof Capped Bust Dime is the first proof struck of the new Small Type dime, the redesign that shrank the coin from the older 18.8 millimeter Large Diameter format down to 18.5 millimeters under a close-collar die. A close-collar press surrounded the planchet with a third die during striking, producing a uniform diameter and the sharply squared rims that distinguish the Small Type from every earlier Capped Bust dime. Because the 1828 Small Date business strike is itself the inaugural Small Type circulation issue, the matched proof carries the same historic weight at the proof level. A proof is a coin struck on a polished blank using polished, specially prepared dies, typically with multiple blows from the press, so every detail comes up crisp and the open fields take on a deep mirror finish. The 1828 Small Date proof is estimated at only five to ten surviving examples, placing it firmly in the R-7 to R-8 rarity band, where R-7 means four to twelve known and R-8 means one to three known. Recent grading event appearances have crossed the auction block in the high five figures and into the low six figures.

Authentication starts with diameter. Genuine 1828 Small Date proofs measure 18.5 millimeters under calipers, not the 18.8 millimeters of the older Large Diameter Capped Bust dimes, and that single dimension is the diagnostic that separates this issue from its predecessors. The close-collar strike produces perfectly uniform reeding, sharply squared rims, and a planchet edge with no taper. Surfaces should show watery, deeply reflective mirror fields free of the granularity or roller marks seen on circulation strikes. Cameo specimens, where the raised devices carry a frosted white finish that contrasts against the black mirror background, command additional premium. A Cameo designation appears as CAM on a third-party grading slab, with Deep Cameo or Ultra Cameo reserved for the strongest contrast. Weight should run very close to 2.7 grams in .8924 fine silver, the same alloy used on circulation issues. Any candidate at this value belongs in a slab from PCGS or NGC, the two leading third-party grading services known as TPGs, labeled specifically as 1828 Small Date Proof with a PR prefix grade. PR denotes a proof striking and is distinct from MS, the Mint State grade applied to business strikes. Common authentic grade levels include PR-63, PR-64, PR-65, and the rarefied PR-66 and finer.

For collectors building a proof type set of early United States silver, the 1828 Small Date proof represents a foundation piece, the entry point to the entire Small Type proof Capped Bust Dime run that follows. For deeper context on the John Reich design, the 1828 diameter reduction, and the close-collar transition, see the Capped Bust Dime series history.