Rare 1859 Dime Errors (List & Pictures)
The most useful clue to the 1859 dime errors covered here is an extra numeral in Liberty’s gown. Estimated whole-coin values run from $100–$12,000, and an exceptionally preserved MS67 has a reported $11,100 January 2023 auction result.
Start at the shield’s LIBERTY banner, locate the misplaced 9, and then assess the rest of the coin before choosing a price comparison.
1859 Dime A 9 beside the LIBERTY Banner: Misplaced Date Error
Below the ordinary stars and away from the normal date, a small 9 appears just to the right of Y in LIBERTY. Its location near the end of the shield banner places it within the gown’s design.
The numeral came from a number punch entered in the wrong place on the die. Once struck, the coins carried raised traces of that misplaced work.
Sharp examples may also reveal part of an 8 near the shield. The recognized variety is F-103, although older catalog terminology can describe the same feature under another name.
How to Identify
Locate Y on the banner and keep it in the frame while examining the area immediately to its right. Compare both the extra 9’s shape and its distance from the letter with a clear F-103 photograph.
A gown fold elsewhere is not an equivalent match, even if it curves like part of a numeral. Moving the light should reveal a raised number fragment rather than a groove cut into the surface.
If the coin is sharp enough, check the additional 8 trace near the shield as supporting evidence. It should fit the same reference, not be an unrelated mark selected simply because the first feature looks promising.
The described Philadelphia dime has no mintmark, stars around Liberty, and no arrows beside the date. Those design checks keep the small feature attached to the correct coin type.
For physical context, compare the coin with approximately 2.49 grams and 17.9 millimeters, allowing for circulation wear. Inspect the grooved edge and preserve the surface around the gown instead of trying to clean the tiny number into view.
What It’s Worth
Circulated examples are estimated at $100–$400, while many unworn pieces fall around $500–$3,000. A PCGS VF30 sold for $118.12 at GreatCollections in October 2024.
Exceptional preservation can place a coin in the $5,000–$12,000 range. Greysheet reports $11,100 in January 2023 for a PCGS MS67 with CAC approval, a substantially different condition level from the VF30.
These amounts value the complete dime, not the extra 9 in isolation. The numeral establishes the attribution, while wear, marks, remaining luster, and surface originality help determine which comparison is appropriate.
Conclusion
The misplaced 9 becomes convincing when its shape and position beside the banner’s Y both agree with F-103. Keep that surrounding design visible in photographs, and use the smaller 8 trace as supporting evidence when preservation allows.
Then evaluate the whole dime’s condition: a worn example and a superb unworn survivor can share the same small numeral while occupying very different price levels.
