“We have been requested, says the Floridian, for the information of our country friends, to say that ten cent pieces are no longer current in Tallahassee at any other rate than ten to the dollar. Recent importations of large amounts of this coin renders this course necessary. [At what rate hitherto passed? According to Pike 10 times 10 make 100.]” — The Northern Pennsylvanian, Dundaff, Pennsylvania, January 10, 1833 Warm violet centers intermingle with gold and yield to frosty pastel blue near the rims. Spectacularly struck, perhaps the best detailed example of this type in the entire D. Brent Pogue Collection, this dime brings every detail engraved into the dies into relief, including the rarely defined curl behind Liberty’s head and the always flat arrow tails. Immaculate and free of even minor disturbances, a tiny toning spot outside of star 2 will serve as an identifier. The dies are fresh, both in their first use, seen here in an early uncracked and somewhat reflective state. The tiny die cracks that close the loops of both 3s undoubtedly occurred during the hardening process, but other die flaws described in the JR book are not present. Superb cartwheel luster glides around both sides, a ribbon tied around this nearly perfect specimen. Spanish-American silver denominations continued to be current, even common, all over the country well into the 1850s, and they circulated later still in some areas. The Pennsylvania newspaper account cited above suggests the divide in American circulating small change, as well as the lack of understanding that the contents of pocket change varied widely by region. In Florida, where subsidiary coins were regularly replenished by trade with the West Indies, Spanish-American coins were the vast majority in circulation. In Pennsylvania, within a brief train ride from the Mint itself, United States coins were common, even as coins of other countries still made up a substantial proportion of small change. While dimes were still scarce in most places in the early 1820s, by the early 1830s they were common enough that a newspaper writer could poke fun at a backwater area where they remained unusual. Newspaper accounts of dimes circulating at the same rate as one real coins, 12-1/2 cents, turned up regularly through the late 1820s. Florida may have been one of the last outposts where dimes remained uncommon, but if this newspaper account is accurate, the state capital received an infusion of them in 1833. Very few 1833 dimes have survived in gem grade, and PCGS has never certified an example of this date in any higher grade than this one. Two different major varieties are designated by PCGS: a catch-all 1833 category and the 1833 Last 3 High variety. The Last 3 High obverse, identified as Obverse 3 in the JR book, was used to strike JR-5 and JR-7, a variety currently rated as Rarity-5 and considered very rare in high grade. Among 1833 dimes with no variety designations, just four have been graded at the MS-66 level by PCGS. PCGS# 4523. NGC ID: 237D.
