1838-P Seated Liberty Dime (1837-1891)
FS-801
Key Features
FS-801: No Drapery, Small Stars - Doubled Die Reverse (only reverse die paired with Small Stars obverse; all Small Stars examples are this variety) [Cross-ref: F-101 / F-101a] Source: http://www.seateddimevarieties.com/date_mintmark/1838_101page.htm Embodying Christian Gobrecht's classic motif, this run tracked early expansion, the Hard Times economic cycle, and the Civil War.
Intriguing History
By 1838, the country was mired in the Panic of 1837, one of the worst depressions the young nation had faced, with banks failing and hard money scarce; President Van Buren's unpopular response gave way in 1841 to William Henry Harrison's month-long presidency and then John Tyler's contested succession. This Seated Liberty dime, Christian Gobrecht's design that anchored small silver coinage for over half a century, was struck during exactly this period.