Rare 1851 Dime Errors (List & Pictures)
An extra number near the shield and a nearly missing star send you to different places when checking 1851 Liberty Seated Dime errors. The F-105 with shield-side and date fragments brought $1,468.75 in 2013.
Estimated whole-coin values across these five groups are $40–$2,500. Start with the front’s added and missing detail, then turn to the reverse for a layered split or a repeatable tilt.
| Where to look | Feature | Estimated range |
|---|---|---|
| Bottoms of 851 | Repunched date | $100–$2,000 |
| Lower-left shield edge | Misplaced 1 fragment | $100–$2,000 |
| Star 7 beside the face | Missing-star strike-through report | $300–$2,500 |
| Between I and M toward lower rim | Lamination | $40–$150 |
| Back after a controlled flip | Die rotation | $75–$500 |
A normal example contains 90% silver and began at about 2.67 grams and 17.9 mm, with a grooved edge. Wear and missing metal can affect weight, so measurements support the visible evidence rather than replacing it.
1. 1851 Dime Extra Strokes Follow the Bottoms of 851: Repunched Date Error
Philadelphia F-105 has remnants below 8, 5, and the final 1. The date punch entered the die more than once, and parts of its earlier position remained.
The die then transferred the complete date and smaller remnants to each coin. A second blow to the coin was not needed to produce them.
How to Identify
Keep all four digits visible, then enlarge the lower edges of 851. The raised strokes should fit earlier versions of the same numbers in the positions shown by an F-105 reference.
Confirm the shield-side fragment discussed next as supporting evidence. A flat shelf or a random nick at one digit cannot replace the full combination.
What It’s Worth
$100–$2,000 is an estimated range from worn through attractive unworn F-105 examples. A PCGS MS64 brought $1,468.75 in 2013, with another listed appearance at $1,440 in May 2024.
The date remnants and shield fragment share one whole-coin value. A worn coin still needs a worn-condition comparison even if both features are readable.
2. 1851 Dime A Small Numeral Piece Sits beside the Shield: Misplaced 1 Error
F-105 also has a raised fragment beside the shield’s lower-left edge, well above the proper date. The specialist reference calls it the flag, or top stroke, of a 1.
The auction uses different wording for that same location and mentions a possible extra gown shape. That additional observation does not establish another identifiable digit.
How to Identify
Follow the shield’s left edge downward as you look at the coin. Compare the little projecting shape with the exact F-105 location and outline.
Then check the earlier strokes below 851. Normal shield lines, a small lump, or a scratch can appear number-like without matching the variety.
What It’s Worth
$100–$2,000 again estimates the complete F-105 across worn through attractive unworn grades. The $1,468.75 and $1,440 listed results concern the variety that also has the repeated date.
The shield-side piece helps identify that same coin type. It is not a second coin or another full price to add to the repunched-date estimate.
3. 1851 Dime Star 7 Nearly Vanishes beside a Clear Face: Missing Star Error
The examined 1851-O has only a faint upper trace of star 7, while star 6 and Liberty’s face remain much clearer. PCGS graded the discovery coin AU50.
Gerry Fortin identified a minting error and proposed grease temporarily blocking the star’s hollow in the die. The missing detail is visible; grease remains the suggested cause.
How to Identify
Count the stars in a complete front view before magnifying star 7 beside the face. Compare its weak upper trace with the neighboring details in the published examination.
Check for scraping or polishing that could remove an already struck star. Confirm O on the reverse, since a weakly struck Philadelphia coin is not the same discovery example.
What It’s Worth
$300–$2,500 is an estimated range for a matching localized missing-star effect on an 1851-O. Clear documentation and lightly worn, otherwise intact detail support the stronger end.
No completed sale is assigned to the discovery piece. A worn star beside an equally worn portrait is a different comparison from this isolated absence.
4. 1851 Dime A Thin Layer Separates below DIME: Reverse Lamination Error
A 2006 dealer advertisement described a split from between I and M in DIME toward the rim around six-thirty. The offered dime was VG8, but its mint was not stated.
A lamination follows weakness within the silver-copper metal mixture. A thin part can lift or separate, unlike a raised line copied from a cracked die.
How to Identify
Hold DIME upright and follow the reported path toward the rim just left of the lowest point. Look for an opening or lifting layer rather than a sharp cut or raised ridge.
Leave any flap attached and move the light to inspect beneath its boundary. Check the mintmark area below the wreath rather than assuming Philadelphia from the advertisement’s silence.
What It’s Worth
$40–$150 is an estimated range for a comparable worn coin with original lamination. The July 2006 E-Gobrecht advertisement asked $25 for its VG8.
That older figure was an asking price and sits below the current working estimate. It is not a completed sale or a maximum for clearer, more attractive examples.
5. 1851 Dime The Reverse Leans Left after a Flip: Rotated Dies Error
The Philadelphia F-101 reference records a reverse about 16 degrees left of its normal orientation. Its wreath and lettering turn together without needing a distorted design.
The angle reflects the relationship between the two dies during striking. Independently straightened face photographs can hide that relationship.
How to Identify
Hold Liberty upright against a vertical guide and flip straight from top to bottom without twisting sideways. Repeat and check that the reverse returns to the same leftward tilt.
Measure the angle before straightening any image for display. Confirm the no-mintmark Philadelphia coin and match both faces to F-101 rather than transferring the angle to every 1851 dime.
What It’s Worth
$75–$500 is an estimated whole-coin range for clearly worn through lightly worn F-101 examples. The rotation table supplies no sale result for the feature.
A small tilt generally draws less attention than an almost upside-down reverse. The stronger F-105 prices elsewhere in this guide concern different date features and should not be borrowed for F-101.
Conclusion
F-105’s lower date strokes and shield fragment work together to identify one variety with one value. The New Orleans missing star, unnamed-mint lamination report, and Philadelphia rotation each need their own evidence.
Keep the full face, mint area, and any orientation record with each close-up. Small details become more useful when their location and relationship to the rest of the coin remain clear.
