1814 Capped Bust Dime. JR-4. Rarity-2. Large Date. MS-66 (PCGS).The pearlescent surfaces of this Gem are accented by rich shades of teal, gold, and violet that are largely confined to the obverse. The reverse is left largely brilliant, in fact, although we do note the faintest tinge of olive-russet iridescence around the periphery. Smooth and uniformly satiny, the complexion is well composed under inspection and free from grade-limiting blemishes. Clash marks (as made) surrounding Libertys portrait are typical for the variety, the strike suitably bold for this challenging early U.S. Mint design type. The reverse die shows considerable fatigue in this state, featuring a network of thin cracks that intersect within the shield. An impressively preserved example that will be of strong interest to both early dime variety specialists and advanced type collectors.pThe 1814 dime was the only date of this denomination coined between 1811 and 1820. When the previous issue was struck, there were 17 states in the Union; when the following issue was coined, there were 23. Of the five die marriages known to numismatists for this date, JR-3 and JR-4 constitute the majority of coins extant, and both are of interest to specialists since they share the same reverse die without a period after the denomination 10 C. The present example is a truly astounding representative of the JR-4 variety that outranks even the Pogue specimen (MS-65 PCGS). It is undoubtedly one of the top two or three finest examples known from the 1814 JR-4 dies, and also ranks high in the Condition Census for the issue as a whole. The Bust Dime Census compiled by specialist David Quint for the December 2011 edition of the emJohn Reich Journal/em notes an example in MS-67 as finest, though that piece may not be represented in third party certification data.Acquired from David Albanese, August 2010.
