1861 10C (1861 Dime) PCGS AU50. This Civil War dated Liberty Seated 1861 Dime has steel-blue centers and darker toning towards the rims. For the grade, the surfaces are original and clean. The parallel die striations are from the dies not being finished. The strike is above average with good details on Liberty’s head, the leaves, and the dentils on both sides.

Designed by Christian Gobrecht, the dime depicts Liberty seated looking over her shoulder to the left. She balances the Union Shield inscribed LIBERTY with her right hand and holds a staff on which is placed a Phrygian cap in her left. The obverse legend is interrupted by her head and the capped pole. The dated is below. The reverse shows the denomination written in two words surrounded by an open wreath. Dentils are around the periphery of both sides of the coin.

In 1860 the legend UNITED STATE OF AMERICA replaced the obverse stars. A new reverse known as the “cereal wreath” replaced the laurel of the prior issue. The wreath encircles ONE DIME in two lines.