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DIME 1798-1807 Draped Bust, Heraldic Eagle - More Details

These coins are loaded with detail and the first dime to feature the Great Seal of the United States. Finding one in Uncirculated condition would be a beautiful prize. However, even the higher grade coins will feature flatness in detail as the design continued in use throughout the series.

The dimes display the Draped Bust obverse as proceeding, except that the star count is now standardized at 13, with seven to the left and six to the right. The reverse is new and is designated as the Heraldic Eagle style. It features an eagle at the center, with a shield on its breast, and a ribbon bearing the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM in its beak. Above is an arc of clouds, below which are stars. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds; there is no indication of value or denomination. A number of different die varieties exist within this range, including the overdates 1798/7 and examples with different numbers of stars above the eagle on the reverse.

It's most often seen in grades from About Good through Fine. Very Fine pieces are somewhat scarce, Extremely Fine coins are scarcer yet, AU examples are rare, and Uncirculated coins are very rare. Many show Mint caused adjustment marks.


Valuation

By appearance, coins of later date may appear to demand a lower grade than its predecessors. In reality the opposite may be true as the strength of the original design diminished with use.
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