1838 Small Stars

The 1838 Small Stars dime is the scarcer of the two star-size varieties from the opening year of the Stars subtype, sharing the combined Philadelphia delivery of roughly 1,992,500 pieces with the more common Large Stars and the transitional Partial Drapery. All three share the same Gobrecht obverse with 13 stars added around Liberty and no drapery at her elbow, but the punches used for the stars differ visibly. Small Stars carries thinner, more delicate star punches with shorter rays and noticeably more space between each star's tips. The eye picks up the difference once it has compared the two side by side; the Small Stars look almost dainty against the bolder Large Stars hub. PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, both attribute Small Stars as a separately recognized subtype.

Strike on Small Stars runs comparable to Large Stars at the same grade band. Where it varies meaningfully is in rim presence: because the stars sit thinner and slightly inside the dentil ring, they are more prone to blending into the field on later die states. Authentication therefore turns first on direct star-size comparison against a verified reference image, second on confirming the absence of drapery at Liberty's left elbow (which would push the coin into the Partial Drapery variety), and third on the 2.67 g weight standard that applies to every pre-Arrows Seated dime under the Mint Act of January 18, 1837. Counterfeit risk on this issue is low compared with the 1838-O Key, but reattribution risk is the real hazard: a raw coin photographed at low resolution can sit in commerce as the wrong subtype for years. Most certified survivors fall in the Fine through Extremely Fine range, with a thin AU layer and Mint State coins running genuinely scarce.

For a date-set or type-set buyer, Small Stars is the harder of the two 1838 Philadelphia varieties to acquire with strong eye appeal at a defensible price. Most type-set builders satisfy the Stars No Drapery slot with the more available Large Stars, and Small Stars is genuinely chased only by specialists who want the full subtype lineup. Acquisition strategy favors circulated grades where the price spread over Large Stars stays manageable and the star diagnostic remains clearly readable. The Regular classification on the site reflects the issue's market behavior more than its scarcity, since Small Stars trades at a steady premium even when the badge does not signal it. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the No Stars to Stars to Drapery transitions, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Dime series history.