Owner Comments:
1861 Philadelphia
Mintage: 1,884,000 (Both obverse types)
Obverse Dies Type I: 6 Known
Obverse Dies Type II: 11 Known
In 1861, Longacre changed the obverse hub to improve striking quality. During that year, obverse dies were produced from both the Type I and Type II obverse hubs. The old hub (Type I) of 1861 has 5 vertical lines in the upper part of the shield above the banner. Liberty's index finger also fell on the outside of the left shield edge. On the new hub (Type II) of 1861, there are 6 vertical lines above the banner. Liberty's
index finger points straight down along the left edge of the shield. The letters on the Type I hub are thinner than the letters on the Type II hub.
Die variety research has revealed that the mint used eleven Type II obverse dies vs. six Type I obverse dies or about a 2:1 ratio. This observation supports the fact that Type II 1861 dimes are easier to locate than their Type I counterparts.
Plate Coin: Fortin 101, Type I Obverse, Rusted Obverse and Clashed Dies, Lustrous Example