1856 Large Date

The 1856 Large Date dime is the companion variety to the Small Date issue, separated from it by the size of the numerals punched into the working dies during a 5,780,000 piece combined Philadelphia run. The Mint had dropped the arrows from the dime in 1856, returning the Stars With Drapery layout to its pre-1853 visual format while keeping the reduced 2.49 gram weight that the Coinage Act of February 21, 1853 had established. The Large Date variety carries noticeably larger numerals on the digit punches, with thicker strokes and a smaller gap between the base of the date and the rim. The 5 in particular reads with a fuller loop and a longer flag than the Small Date counterpart, making it the easiest individual digit to use as a quick diagnostic.

Attribution under five power magnification is the standard method, and a reliable plate image or known-attributed reference coin is the surest path for collectors unfamiliar with the side-by-side comparison. Strike characteristics on the Large Date run typical for the year, with the usual mid-1850s Philadelphia work showing reasonable head and shield detail on choice Mint State coins and softness on the upper-left stars on later die states. Some die marriages show clash lines through the obverse fields that surface most clearly on prooflike examples, and these die-state observations carry interest among specialists without commanding broad premiums. Counterfeit pressure is minimal since the premium gap between the Small Date and Large Date is moderate, but raw coins benefit from the same plate comparison process used on any 1856 dime.

Most collectors encounter the Large Date as the more frequently certified of the two 1856 Philadelphia varieties, since the date layout appears to have been used through a larger share of the year's striking. Circulated examples in Very Good through Extremely Fine are common and inexpensive, About Uncirculated coins are widely available at modest cost, and Mint State pieces step up in price as preservation rises through MS-63 and into MS-65 territory. Date specialists building a complete Seated dime run acquire both 1856 varieties, while type collectors generally pick whichever certified example surfaces in their desired grade band first. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1853 Coinage Act and Arrows transition, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Dime series history.