1811 Capped Bust Dime: An Overdate That Shaped a Classic

The 1811 Capped Bust dime is one of the more unusual dates in early American silver, and the reason comes down to a single die-cutting shortcut at the Philadelphia Mint. Every surviving example from this date is actually an 1811/09 overdate, struck from a leftover 1809 die that was re-punched with new numbers. Add a mintage of just 65,180 coins and a design credited to John Reich, and you get a coin that early silver collectors actively hunt down rather than just add to a date set.

This guide breaks down what the 1811 Capped Bust dime is, what it looks like, what it is worth in today's market, and how to buy or sell one without losing money on a bad deal.

What Makes the 1811 Capped Bust Dime an Overdate?

The 1811 Capped Bust dime is an overdate because the Mint reused a die originally cut for 1809 and re-engraved it with 1811 digits. PCGS lists this as the only known variety for the year, meaning there is no "plain date" 1811 dime to find, only the 1811/09.

Early U.S. Mint operations often reused dies to save time and metal. Die steel was expensive and slow to produce, so when an 1809 die had life left in it, the engraver simply cut new date numerals over the old ones rather than starting from scratch. Under magnification, the underlying "09" digits are still visible peeking out from beneath the "11," which is exactly what makes this coin an overdate rather than a plain re-strike.

Collectors reference this variety using the JR-1 die marriage designation, the standard attribution system used for early Capped Bust dimes. Since 1811 has only one known die pairing, variety collecting for this date is simpler than most other years in the series, where multiple die marriages can complicate attribution.

What Are the Key Facts About the 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

The 1811 Capped Bust dime was struck at the Philadelphia Mint with a mintage of 65,180 pieces, making it one of the lower-mintage dates in the Capped Bust dime series that ran from 1809 to 1837. The coin was designed by John Reich, whose bust design replaced the earlier Draped Bust dime.

Here are the specifications a collector or appraiser will check first.

• Composition: 89.2% silver, 10.8% copper
• Weight: 2.70 grams
• Diameter: 19.00 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Mint: Philadelphia (no mint mark used at this time)
• Designer: John Reich

For readers building out a broader early silver collection, the 1914 Barber Dime makes a useful comparison point since it shows how mintage and design changed later in the series.

What Does the 1811 Capped Bust Dime Look Like?

The obverse of the 1811 Capped Bust dime shows Liberty facing left wearing a cap with "LIBERTY" across the band, surrounded by stars, with the date below. The reverse carries an eagle holding a shield, with arrows and an olive branch, the motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" above, and "10 C." below to mark the denomination.

That "10 C." marking is worth pausing on. Many early U.S. coins did not spell out their value on the coin itself, leaving buyers and sellers to work out worth by weight and metal content. The Capped Bust dime series was part of a shift toward printing the actual denomination on the coin, which made day-to-day commerce simpler for people who were not coin experts.

The overdate itself sits in the date numerals on the obverse. A loupe or a decent macro photo will usually show the ghost of the "09" beneath the "11," which is the single most identifiable feature separating this date from every other Capped Bust dime.

How Rare Is the 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

The 1811 Capped Bust dime is scarce across the board but becomes genuinely rare in Mint State condition. Circulated examples do turn up with some regularity in the lower and middle grades, so the coin is not a mythical rarity in well-worn shape.

The real challenge shows up once a collector goes looking for Mint State or Gem Mint State pieces. PCGS population data and dealer commentary consistently point to a steep drop-off in surviving examples above About Uncirculated. Coins struck in low numbers over 200 years ago simply had fewer chances to survive in high grade, since most circulated hard for decades before anyone thought to set them aside.

This is the core of why the date matters to collectors: it combines a low original mintage with heavy attrition over time, so the population of problem-free, high-grade coins is thin relative to demand.

How Much Is an 1811 Capped Bust Dime Worth?

An 1811 Capped Bust dime is typically worth somewhere between a couple hundred dollars in worn circulated grades and several thousand dollars in higher grades, with the highest professionally graded examples selling for well beyond that. Published price guides differ somewhat depending on methodology, but they tell a consistent story: value climbs sharply once a coin moves out of the heavily worn grades.

Auction results for top-tier Gem examples can run much higher. PCGS has recorded a sale near $24,200 for a Gem Brilliant Uncirculated 1811/09 dime, which shows how far the top of the market can stretch above these baseline retail figures. Because grade, originality, and eye appeal move price so much on this date, it is worth comparing several current price guides and recent auction results rather than relying on a single number.

What Is the Melt Value of an 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

The melt value of an 1811 Capped Bust dime is only a few dollars, far below its collector value in almost every grade. The coin contains 2.70 grams of an 89.2% silver alloy, which works out to roughly 2.41 grams of pure silver, or about 0.077 troy ounces.

At the time of writing, with silver trading around $57 per ounce, that puts the raw metal value at roughly $4.39. Compare that to the price table above, where even a heavily worn G-4 example sells for around $300, and it becomes clear that this coin's value is driven almost entirely by numismatic demand, not bullion content.

That gap between melt and market price is common across early silver type coins. If you want a sense of how silver content and coin demand can diverge more broadly, our guide on when the US stopped making silver coins covers how the shift away from 90% silver coinage in 1965 changed the melt math for circulating currency, though early Bust coinage predates that shift by well over a century.

What Should You Look For When Buying an 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

Buy the coin in front of you, not just the date on the label. Two coins graded identically can look very different in hand, and originality of surfaces often matters more to long-term value than a one-point grade bump.

• Check for honest, even wear rather than a coin that looks artificially smoothed
• Look closely for cleaning marks, hairlines, or an unnatural shine across the fields
• Inspect the rim for damage, filing, or old mount marks from jewelry use
• Confirm the overdate digits are visible if variety attribution matters to you
• Favor coins graded by a major third-party service for anything above the lower circulated grades
• Compare the asking price against at least two current price guides before buying

Working with a dealer who understands early U.S. silver matters here. A shop that only handles modern bullion may not price a Bust-era overdate correctly, while a dealer experienced in numismatic coins can weigh grade, strike, and originality together.

What Are Common Misconceptions About the 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

The biggest misconception is that every 1811 dime is automatically rare and valuable. In reality, lower circulated grades show up fairly often, and it is the high-grade, problem-free coins that are genuinely hard to find.

A second misconception is that the overdate signals something is wrong with the coin. The 1811/09 overdate is a normal result of Mint die reuse in the early 1800s, not a sign of tampering or a modern fake. A third misconception is that the silver inside drives the price. As shown above, melt value sits around $4 to $5 at current silver prices, while collector demand pushes real sale prices into the hundreds or thousands.

Finally, some buyers assume all Capped Bust dimes trade similarly. In practice, dates, die varieties, and grade combine to create large swings in value across the 1809-1837 series, and 1811 is a good example of a low-mintage date carrying a premium over more common years.

Why Do Collectors Build Sets Around Coins Like the 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

Collectors build sets around coins like the 1811 Capped Bust dime because it combines an easy-to-explain variety story with genuine scarcity and strong historical design. It checks several boxes at once: early American silver, a recognizable overdate, and a design by a named engraver whose work shaped U.S. coinage for decades.

If you're new to the hobby and wondering what drives people to specialize in dates like this, our explainer on what defines a numismatist covers how serious collectors approach variety attribution, grading, and provenance. Many collectors who start with common-date [Morgan silver dollars] eventually move toward early type coins like Bust dimes once they want more variety and history in a collection.

Where Can You Buy or Sell an 1811 Capped Bust Dime?

The best place to buy or sell an 1811 Capped Bust dime is a dealer with real experience in early U.S. numismatic coins, not just modern bullion. Accurate Precious Metals, based in Salem, Oregon, fits that description directly. As an NGC Authorized dealer in business since 2012 and over 1,000 five-star customer reviews, the team handles both bullion and collectible coins with the same attention, whether you're buying a single overdate dime or building out a full early silver type set.

Accurate Precious Metals ships nationwide with insured delivery, so buyers outside Oregon get the same access to inventory as walk-in customers at the Salem location. The company carries gold, silver, platinum, and palladium in coin, bar, and bullion form, along with diamonds and jewelry, and offers Gold and Silver IRA services for collectors who also want retirement-account exposure to precious metals. For collectors comparing local coin shops, Accurate Precious Metals stands out for its combination of graded numismatic inventory, competitive online pricing tied to live spot prices, and a specialist focus that a general pawn shop simply cannot match.

If you already own an 1811 Capped Bust dime, or any early silver coin, and want to sell it, you have two straightforward paths with Accurate Precious Metals. Local sellers can visit the Salem, Oregon location in person for a face-to-face offer. Sellers anywhere else in the country can use the mail-in service, which includes a free insured shipping kit and a fast payment turnaround once the coin is inspected by our team.

For sellers weighing whether to keep a coin or cash it in, our page on selling silver coins online walks through what to expect from the process, and shoppers looking to round out a type set with common-date silver dimes can browse 90% silver dimes from before 1965 as an affordable way to add bullion-grade silver alongside numismatic pieces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

1. PCGS CoinFacts - 1811/09 10C
2. APMEX Learning Guide - Capped Bust Dimes
3. CoinMintages - 1811 Capped Bust Dime Mintage Data
4. Greysheet - 1811 Over 9 10C Bust Dime Pricing
5. USA Coin Book - 1811-P 11 Over 09 Capped Bust Dime
6. PriceCharting - Capped Bust Dime 1811/09 JR-1