Semi-Numismatic

1887-S Liberty Seated Dime Fine

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The 1887-S Liberty Seated dime offers a fascinating window into late nineteenth-century American coinage. Struck at the San Francisco Mint, this ten-cent piece is composed of 90 percent silver, containing 0.0715 troy ounces of precious metal. Surviving today in Fine condition, it carries the gentle wear of a coin that actively circulated during a dynamic era of expansion and growth in the American West. Created by Christian Gobrecht, the obverse features a graceful depiction of Lady Liberty seated upon a rock. In her left hand, she supports a staff topped with a Phrygian cap, a traditional symbol of freedom, while her right hand rests on a shield inscribed with the word LIBERTY. The year 1887 is anchored at the bottom of the design, beneath her feet. The reverse of the coin is framed by the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. Inside a delicate, detailed wreath, the denomination is clearly stated as ONE DIME. This elegant combination of a symbolic obverse and a wreath-bound reverse represents one of the most enduring design families in United States numismatic history.