Sharpness slightly finer with a small area of cleaning in the left obverse field. Light gray surfaces with a few minor scratches on the reverse. This is the only variety from the Small Date obverse die. This is considered a scarce variety, however, far from rare.

Five die varieties are known among the dimes of 1814, created through a combination of three obverse and four reverse dies. The recorded mintage was 421,500 coins all produced from the second through fourth quarters of the year. We are confident that this is the total mintage of dimes bearing this date as no examples of this denomination were struck from 1815 through 1819.

This is the only use of either die.

Apparently an early die state, however, uneven striking obscures the lower right obverse border.

Purchased January 1986 from Mid-America, privately.