1878 Seated Liberty Dime - Lover Token
Updated August 19, 2026
| Lot number | 135 |
| Auction | VARIETY COIN AUCTION - 8/26/26 |
| Date | August 26, 2026 at 7:05 PM CDT |
| Auction house | BIGBIDNOW |
| Location | Columbia, Missouri |
1878 Seated Liberty Dime transformed into a historic Love Token. This unique piece combines a late-19th-century 90% silver Seated Liberty Dime with the sentimental tradition of engraved Love Tokens. Please review the photos carefully for the exact engraving, surfaces, wear, and overall condition. The Seated Liberty Dime was designed by Christian Gobrecht and features Liberty seated on a rock on the obverse, with “ONE DIME” within a wreath on the reverse. The 1878 issue was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and carries no mint mark. Love Tokens were created by smoothing or planing one side of a circulating coin and hand-engraving it with initials, names, dates, decorative designs, or sentimental messages. Seated Liberty silver coins were among the most popular host coins for this tradition during the 19th century. The host dime was struck in 90% silver and 10% copper, weighs approximately 2.50 grams, and measures approximately 17.9 mm in diameter. Because the coin was altered for engraving, portions of the original design may have been intentionally removed.
