1838-O 10C Liberty Seated Dime NGC AU-58

The first coin struck at the New Orleans Mint and the only branch-mint issue of Gobrecht’s brief No Stars type. Dies without stars had already been shipped from Philadelphia before the 1838 design change that added thirteen stars to the obverse; New Orleans therefore produced the entire 406,034-piece mintage with the original, open-field layout. Thirty presentation pieces were coined on May 8, 1838; mechanical trouble and a yellow-fever shutdown delayed regular production until late in the year, with additional 1838-dated coins struck in January 1839. Nearly the entire output entered Southern commerce, where the dime circulated alongside the Mexican real, leaving high-grade survivors scarce.

This example is certified AU-58 by NGC and displays deeper original toning in shades of red, blue, and green across both sides, lightened at thre centers. The open fields of the No Stars design give the color unusual depth, while Liberty’s figure and the wreath remain sharply defined with only the lightest friction on the highest points. Weakness at the head, foot, and shield lines—typical of the issue—is present but does not detract. Two Fortin marriages exist for the date (F-101 with rim cuds and a repunched mintmark; F-102 with a slightly tilted normal O); both are collectible at this grade level.