Semi-Numismatic

Seated Liberty Dime Love Token

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During the nineteenth century, a charming custom emerged where individuals smoothed away one side of a circulating coin to engrave initials, names, or intricate designs, creating a highly personal keepsake known as a love token. This particular piece begins with a United States Seated Liberty dime, a sovereign ten-cent coin struck in 90 percent silver with a metal content of 0.0715 troy ounces. The original obverse design, created by Christian Gobrecht, features Lady Liberty seated upon a rock. In her hands, she supports a staff topped with a liberty cap, while her other hand rests on a shield. The legible portions of the coin, including the date of 1878 and the inscription of AMERICA, anchor this hand-crafted token to a specific moment in late nineteenth-century American history.