INDEX
A Draped Bust Dime contains 0.0773 troy oz of silver — about $5.26 at today's silver price.
Spot price as of August 26, 2026
About This Series
The Draped Bust dime covered only about 12 years, with production inconsistent - some years saw no coinage at all. Robert Scot's design mirrors the Draped Bust used on larger silver coins of the era. The 1797 with 16 stars is a distinct variety created when a new state star was added mid-production; it's also one of the more available dates. The 1804 is the key date with roughly 8,265 struck and about 14 confirmed survivors today - the scarcest of all US dimes by surviving population. Production ended in 1807 as the Mint shifted to the Capped Bust design.
Specifications
1796–1807
- Composition
- 89.24% Silver, 10.76% Copper
- Fineness
- 89.2%
- Weight
- 2.70 g
- Diameter
- 19.0 mm
- ASW
- 0.0773 oz
- Years Produced
- 1796–1807
Melt Value
Based on silver spot price of $68.09/oz
Spot price as of August 26, 2026
Mintage by year and mint
NGC Coin Explorer publishes fewer than 8 business-strike figures for this series, which is too few to rank one year against the rest.
| Year | Mint | Business strikes | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1796 | Philadelphia | 22,135 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1797 | Philadelphia | 15,017 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1798 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not listed by NGC |
| 1800 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not listed by NGC |
| 1801 | Philadelphia | 34,640 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1802 | Philadelphia | 10,975 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1803 | Philadelphia | 33,040 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1804 | Philadelphia | 8,265 | Not listed by NGC |
| 1805 | Philadelphia | Varieties reported separately | Not listed by NGC |
| 1807 | Philadelphia | Not published by NGC | Not listed by NGC |
| Mintages as published by NGC Coin Explorer, 2026-03 snapshot. Covers 1796–1807. NGC Coin Explorer does not list every date and mint, so this is what it publishes rather than a complete census. | |||