1849 Overdate WOVD-001

Description

Overdates represent one of the earliest and most dramatic forms of die variety in American numismatics, and this 1849 Seated Liberty Dime overdate documents an instance where a new date was punched over a previous year's date already present in the die. In the pre-industrial era of die making, date digits were individually punched into each die by hand, and economic pressures sometimes led the Mint to repurpose partially completed dies by overstriking the date rather than discarding and replacing them. The Seated Liberty Dime series, designed by Christian Gobrecht and produced from 1837 through 1891, spans over half a century and includes numerous date-related varieties that reflect the manual die preparation methods of the nineteenth century. This variety carries significant cross-references: the Cherrypickers' Guide lists it as FS-H10-1849-303, and Valentine catalogs it as variety 1 — Valentine being the foundational reference for Seated Liberty half dime and dime die varieties. The Wexler Variety ID is 1849 H10c WOVD-001. The 1849 date falls during the Gold Rush Era, when westward expansion was transforming the American economy, and the Philadelphia Mint was the sole facility striking dimes. Photos are still needed for this variety, indicating it remains incompletely documented despite its recognition across multiple major attribution systems.

Attribution History

• Discovered by Not noted Cross References: Cherrypickers: FS-H10-1849-303, Valentine: 1 PHOTOS NEEDED
• Cherrypickers: FS-H10-1849-303, Valentine: 1 PHOTOS NEEDED; Wexler Variety ID: 1849 H10¢ WOVD-001
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References