1804 10C 13 Star Reverse MS(PCGS#4474)

February 2026 Showcase Auction - The James A. Stack, Sr. Collection Part II

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

25052

Grade

VF35

Price

25,200

Lot Description

A notable specimen of a rare issue, this is a handsome Choice Very Fine to represent the 1804 13 Stars Reverse dime. Rich toning in warm olive-gray blankets both sides, the surfaces yielding undertones of soft antique gold and bolder reddish-russet as the coin rotates under lighting. Strike detail is typical of the 1804 JR-1 attribution. The obverse is fairly well centered, although the lower half of the border is devoid of denticulation, features bold for the grade apart from softness to Liberty's bust. The reverse is slightly off center to 3 o'clock, right border devoid of denticulation, stars and clouds at upper right soft due to being opposite Liberty's bust. Close inspection with a loupe reveals a concentration of faint pin scratches on Liberty's portrait, but as none of these are individually distracting we leave it to a tiny carbon spot at the junction of the neck and bust to serve as an identifier for provenance purposes. Pleasingly smooth during in-hand viewing, nonetheless, and well defined for a circulated example of this die pairing, an impressive numismatic provenance further recommends this coin to advanced early dime enthusiasts.<p>The 1804 dime has the lowest mintage for any Draped Bust dime, with 8,625 pieces struck and delivered in June of that year. However, it is widely thought that many of the dimes reported as delivered in September of 1805 were dated 1804. As a result, a more accurate production figure from 1804-dated dies is probably closer to 17,000 pieces as proposed by the authors of the standard work on the subject, <em>Early United States Dimes 1796-1837</em> (1984). Regardless of the exact mintage for the issue, its rarity is beyond contestation with the authors of the <em>Bust Dime Variety Identification Guide</em> (2015) asserting that only 100 to 125 coins are extant throughout the numismatic grading scale.<p>Only two die pairings are known, both sharing the same obverse die, with the JR-1 marriage being the slightly more available of the two. In addition to absolute rarity, the 1804 JR-1 is a significant condition rarity that is almost always found in the lowest circulated grades. When one considers that the famed Norweb Collection's example was only VG-F and F.C.C. Boyd never managed to acquire a 13 Stars on Reverse 1804 dime, the acquisition of this Choice Very Fine coin as certified by PCGS would be a signature event for any early dime devotee.