1796 10C Draped Bust Dime JR-2 Variety VF25 (CAC)

Rare variety JR-2 die pair -- only 10% of surviving coins! Original mintage of 22,135!

Here is a dramatic survivor from the early days of our nation, and a rare variety at that. The JR-2 variety represents just 10 percent of surviving specimens out of around 640 total surviving specimens.

The diagnostics include minor rim crumbling at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock when viewing the obverse. Also there is noticeable space between the '6' and the bust, while other varieties have them almost touching. Plus the fifteenth star almost touches the garment of her breast. There are obverse die clashes evident in the back of Liberty's hair leading up to the ribbon. Other obverse die clashes are found in the first four stars starting to the left of the '1.' Reverse die clashes are also found on the right side of the reverse. In CAC, there is 1 in VF25, with 70 finer.

Ann Willing Bingham, the alleged model for the Draped Bust coinage, as rendered by Gilbert Stuart.

The year 1796 was the second year of the Draped Bust type coins, which replaced the Flowing Hair type of 1794-1795. The obverse was engraved by Robert Scot, chief engraver. In addition to the dime, this design also appeared upon the silver dollar, half dollar, quarter dollar, and fractional copper. Legend tells us that the obverse visage of Liberty was modeled upon a Philadelphia socialite from a drawing by artist Gilbert Stuart. This design change after only one year (from the Flowing Hair type) was the brain-child of Mint Director Henry DeSaussure (and probably with the encouragement of President Washington) in his desire to improve the appearance of all U.S. coinage. John Eckstein, an artist from Rhode Island, crafted a plaster model of Stuart's rendering, from which Scot prepared the dies.