1796 United States Dime Value
Today a 1796 United States Dime typically sells for its melt value to well into four figures, with condition doing most of the work. See the grade table below for exactly where your coin falls.
1796 United States Dime value by grade
| Grade | Estimated value |
|---|
Estimated retail range. Estimates are modeled from mintage rarity and metal content, not auction records. Actual sale prices vary with certification, eye appeal and market timing.
How much is a 1796 United States Dime worth today?
The market for the 1796 United States Dime is driven by condition above all.
1796 United States Dime specifications
- Series
- United States Coinage
- Year
- 1796
- Mint mark
- None (Philadelphia)
- Mintage
- Not recorded
- Composition
- Silver
- Weight
- 2.964 g
- Diameter
- 20 mm
Reading a coin with no mint mark
The 1796 United States Dime was struck at the Philadelphia Mint, which used no mint mark in this era. If you find no letter where branch-mint coins carry one (check the usual position for this series), you are holding a Philadelphia issue.
Why the 1796 United States Dime is worth money
The 1796 United States Dime lacks precise production records, so its value rests on demonstrated rarity: how often examples surface at auction and how they compare to documented specimens.
There is history in a 1796 United States Coinage as well. Documented United States coin types preserved in museum collections, with measured specifications for each date, denomination and mint. That backdrop keeps the series among the most actively collected in American numismatics.
1796 United States Dime inscriptions & design
Obverse
LIBERTY / (date)
Liberty bust right, stars flanking
Reverse
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Eagle in wreath
Measured 1796 United States Dime specimens
1 physically measured 1796 United States Dime example in our reference database. Real measured weights and die axes let you authenticate a coin against the 2.964 g, 20 mm minting standard.
| Specimen | Weight | Diameter | Die axis | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 United States Dime #1 | 2.964 g | 20 mm | - | Breen.3140 (fake) |
Specifications compiled from documented museum specimens. See our data & methodology page.