Top 25 Liberty Seated Dime Rotated Reverse

Top 25 Liberty Seated Dime Rotated Reverses

I’ve been interested in rotated reverses longer than I’ve been interested in seated dimes. Ever since my fellow collector friend Fred Pick sold me a beautiful 1854 large cent in XF with about 80 degrees rotation, I’ve collected rotated reverses across several denominations and time frames.

Unlike other variety types, such as repunched dates, shattered dies, or misplaced dates, rotated reverses are easy to detect on coins in hand, even without a loupe. They can be located at coin shows and coin shops. However, cherry-picking rotated reverses is difficult because their high visibility makes it likely that the rotated reverse will be identified prior to sale. Cherry-picking rotated reverses online is virtually impossible because of separate photography of the obverse and reverse, unless the coin is in some kind of holder.

Collecting seated dime rotated reverses offers a particularly interesting challenge since a good number of rotated reverse varieties are known, but many are very difficult to locate. This Top 25 Set is quite comprehensive in that 25 entries will cover most of the major known Liberty Seated dime rotated reverses.

This collecting challenge is not for people who need immediate gratification. Most of the varieties are rare and few of them are on the Top 100 and Ultimate Set lists already being collected. The Top 25 Rotated Reverses Set is probably a close second in difficulty to the Top 25 Cud Dies Set among Liberty Seated dime collecting challenges. It’s the kind of challenge that makes coin collecting a lifetime adventure for me.

Dale Miller, January 2014 E-Gobrecht Article

Following are the Top 25 Rotated Reverse varieties is table format. Within each variety listing, access to full page web-book descriptions is done by clicking the Date. After the table, an image gallery description of each of the Top 25 rotated reverse varieties and die states is presented. Readers can once again gain access to a detailed web-book description for each rotated reverse variety by clicking any of the obverse or reverse images.

Top 25 Liberty Seated Dime Rotated Reverses

Click on the underlined dates to see images and web-book descriptions of each Top 25 rotated reverse variety.

Variety Number	Date	Variety Location	Fortin Reference	Descriptions and Requirement for Variety
1	1837 Large Date	Reverse	101a, 101b, 101c	Reverse rotated left 23 degrees. Significant as first year of issue. All 1837 Large Date business strikes are known with rotated reverse left at 23 degrees.
2	1837 Small Date	Reverse	103a	Reverse rotated left 23 degrees. 1837 Small Dates are found with 23 degrees rotation as Large Dates and with normal coin turn die alignment.
3	1839	Reverse	109	Reverse rotated right 12 degrees. All 1839 dimes are typically found with reverse rotation of 23 degrees left or normal coin turn die alignment. Variety 109 is the only known case of a reverse rotated right for the date.
4	1841	Reverse	104, 104a	Reverse rotated right 18 degrees. This is the 184 repunched obverse paired with a rotated reverse. The reverse die is rusted during the F-104a die state.
5	1845-O	Reverse	101c	Reverse rotated left 25 degrees. A late die state for the 1845-O die pair whereby the Large O has thick sidewalls. Few examples are known with rotated reverse. Locating a high grade problem free example will be very challenging.
6	1849-O	Reverse	101a	Large O Mintmark, Reverse rotated left 52 degrees. The first of three 1849-O rotated reverse and the most difficult to locate with Large O mintmark.
7	1849-O	Reverse	103b	Small O Mintmark, Reverse rotated left 85 degrees. The significant rotation coupled with Small O mintmark make this variety easier to locate. Available in lower grades.
8	1849-O	Reverse	104a	Small O Mintmark, Reverse rotated left 48 degrees. Obverse has repunched date and a few examples are known with a rotated reverse left.
9	1850-O	Reverse	105a	Large O Mintmark, Reverse rotated left 45 degrees. Discovered by Dick Osburn and typically found in low grades. A few high grade circulated examples are known.
10	1851	Reverse	101	Reverse rotated left 16 degrees. All F-101 specimens will be found with the reverse rotated left by 16 degrees.
11	1853WA Unhubbed	Reverse	104a	Reverse rotated right 45 degrees. Arrows and date are hand punched with date touching the base. A few examples are known with the rotated reverse.
12	1853WA Hubbed	Reverse	115	Reverse rotated right 32 degrees. Arrows and date were placed into the master hub die. I am uncertain if all F-115 strikes have the rotated reverse or only a subset.
13	1854WA	Reverse	105	Reverse rotated left 65 degrees. Comes with obvious die cracks at the date. A most difficult variety to locate as I've seen only two examples.
14	1854-O	Reverse	103a	Reverse rotated right 50 degrees or so. A combination of cracked obverse at date and oblique O reverse with rotated reverse right. Another very challenging variety to locate.
15	1855	Reverse	105a	Reverse rotated right 135 degrees. Few examples are known regardless of the huge 135 degree reverse rotation.
16	1858	Reverse	108a	Reverse rotated left 45 degrees. Discovered by Bill Mackrides with few known. Recently a second rotation position of 57 degrees was identified.
17	1862-S	Reverse	102a	Reverse rotated right 35 degrees. A portion of the 1862-S mintage with F-102 die pair are found with a rotated reverse. No as rare as some other entries in this set and can be located with patience.
18	1865	Reverse	102c	Reverse rotated 180 degrees, medal turn die alignment. Proof only and few are known. There is speculation that the variety is actually a pattern strike due to the perfect medal turn die alignment.
19	1875-S BW Micro S	Reverse	104a	Reverse rotated right 18 degrees. Part of the Top 100 and Ultimate sets due to unfilled Micro S mintmark. Difficult to locate.
20	1875-S BW Small S	Reverse	109	Reverse rotated left 50 degrees. Discovered by Michael Fey during 2004. A few mid grade examples are known and will be challening to locate.
21	1875-S BW Small S	Reverse	118a	Reverse rotated left 80 degrees. Discovered by Shawn Shaughnessy during 2011. Few examples known.
22	1876 Type I Reverse	Reverse	117	Reverse rotated left 85 degrees. Obverse has a weak date and large die defect above the shield. Few examples with rotated reverse are known.
23	1876-CC	Reverse	107a	Reverse rotated left 120 degrees. The doubled die obverse is in later die state when paired with Reverse F (mintmark slopes up). A few strikes with dramatic rotated reverse are known; will be most challenging to locate in any grade.
24	1876-CC	Reverse	112	Reverse rotated right 45 degrees. Reverse that was previously paired with famous doubled die obverse is found in another die marriage with rotated reverse right. Reverse rotations of 45 and 65 degrees (F-112a) are known.
25	1888-S	Reverse	111a	Reverse rotated left 55 degrees. Discovered by Jason Feldman at the 2013 March Whitman Baltimore show. At this time, only one example is known.

Top 25 Liberty Seated Dime Rotated Reverse Gallery

(Click on images to access individual variety pages)

Rotated Reverse #1 - 1837 Large Date, F-101a, F-101b, F-101c

Reverse Rotated Left 23 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #2 - 1837 Small Date, F-103a

Reverse Rotated Left 23 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #3 - 1839, F-109

Reverse Rotated Right 12 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #4 - 1841, F-104, F-104a

Reverse Rotated Right 18 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #5 - 1845-O, F-101c

Reverse Rotated Left 25 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #6 - 1849-O Large O, F-101a

Reverse Rotated Left 52 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #7 - 1849-O Small O, F-103b

Reverse Rotated Left 85 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #8 - 1849-O Repunched Date and Small O, F-104a

Reverse Rotated Left 48 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #9 - 1850-O Large O, F-105a

Reverse Rotated Left 48 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #10 - 1851, F-101

Reverse Rotated Left 16 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #11 - 1853 With Arrows, Unhubbed F-104a

Reverse Rotated Right 45 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #12 - 1853 With Arrows, Hubbed F-115

Reverse Rotated Right 32 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #13 - 1854 With Arrows, F-105

Reverse Rotated Left 65 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #14 - 1854-O With Arrows, F-103a

Reverse Rotated Right 50 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #15 - 1855 With Arrows, F-105a

Reverse Rotated Right 135 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #16 - 1858, F-108a

Reverse Rotated Left 45 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #17 - 1862-S, F-102a

Reverse Rotated Right 35 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #18 - 1865 Proof, F-102c

Reverse Rotated 180 Degrees, Medal Die Alignment

Rotated Reverse #19 1875-S Below Wreath, Micro S, F-104a

Reverse Rotated Right 18 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #20 - 1875-S BW, Small S, F-109

Reverse Rotated Left 50 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #21 - 1875-S BW, Small S, F-118a

Reverse Rotated Left 80 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #22 - 1876 Type I Reverse, F-117

Reverse Rotated Left 85 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #23 - 1876-CC, F-107a

Reverse Rotated Left 120 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #24 - 1876-CC, F-112

Reverse Rotated Right 45 Degrees

Rotated Reverse #25 - 1888-S, F-111a

Reverse Rotated Left 55 Degrees

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