1868-S 10C MS66 Certification #10708036, PCGS #4648

Gardner collection. 1868-S Dime, Very Rare MS66 Frosty Centers With Rim Toning 1868-S 10C MS66 PCGS. Fortin-101. The frosty silver-white surfaces on each side of this Premium Gem accompany iridescent moss-green, cherry, orange, and blue patina at the rims. There are no singular marks, but the dies are fatigued, and flow lines show in the fields on each side. Each side shows considerable die clashing, and the left side of LIBERTY is weakly struck. https://www.pcgs.com/auctionprices/item/1868-s-10c/4648/-3901056005971630141/1 This was in a PCGS MS66 holder in 2007 as part of the The Dr. Tory Prestera Collection at Stacks Bowers. It sold for $29,900. It was listed at the time as a POP 2/0 1868-S MS-66 (PCGS). A beautiful coin that retains undiminished lustre in the fields and is generally bright silver save for peripheral green and gold toning, with a touch of fuchsia at the top of the obverse. The strike was sharp enough to bring up the devices such as Liberty's head and the surrounding legend, as well as the wreath details on the reverse. Minor evidence of die clashing and thin cracks are present on the reverse. One of the top examples to survive from the mintage of just 260,000 pieces and such quality is decidedly rare. PCGS Population: 2; none finer. https://auctions.stacksbowers.com/lots/view/3-AT8FS/1868-s-ms-66-pcgs

Ron Guth

The 1868-S Dime is a moderately scarce date that can be found in most grades up to MS64, though Mint State grades are few.  In Gem condition, this date becomes a true condition-rarity.  One of the best surviving examples is the Eliasberg coin; another is the PCGS MS66 example from the Eugene Gardner collection.  The strike is often soft, especially on the mintmark, partly because the San Francisco Mint used the dies until they were practically worn out.  

Gerry Fortin identified only a single die pair for the entire mintage of this year, plus two separate die states for the variety.