1800

The 1800 Draped Bust dime resumed dime production after a one-year hiatus, as no dimes were struck during 1799. The exact reason for the 1799 gap is not fully documented, but bullion supply, die preparation priorities, and the small staff of the early Philadelphia Mint all played roles. When dime production resumed in 1800, only 21,760 pieces were struck, one of the lowest figures in the entire series. Surviving examples are tightly held, particularly in mid-grade and higher preservation, since circulation was hard on these small silver coins throughout the early 19th century. Today the 1800 stands among the more challenging dates for date-collectors and advanced type sets to acquire and properly preserve.

Robert Scot's draped Liberty obverse, based on Gilbert Stuart's portrait of Anne Willing Bingham, pairs with the Heraldic Eagle reverse, a large eagle with shield, arrows, olive branch, and E PLURIBUS UNUM on a banner. Specifications follow the series standard of 89.24% silver, 2.70 grams, near 19 mm diameter, and a reeded edge. Authentication should begin with weight verification, since cast counterfeits often run a bit light or heavy. Edge reeding should be sharp and even, and denticles around both obverse and reverse rims should be intact and unfiled. Match the coin to John Reich (JR) die marriages, which catalog known die pairings and cracks; this rules out tooled fields and altered-date deceptions effectively.

Date collectors competing for complete Draped Bust dime sets pursue the 1800 aggressively, and type collectors seeking a single representative Heraldic Eagle dime sometimes pick this scarce early date as well. Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers handle most quality offerings, with Professional Coin Grading Service and Numismatic Guaranty Company certification standard. Population reports from PCGS and NGC give the best read on conditional rarity, and certified examples consistently outperform raw equivalents in the resale market. For more on the 1799 production gap, see the Draped Bust Dime series history.