This is an important and exceedingly rare transitional early Liberty Seated dime, similar to the later and more widely known 1859 transitional issue attributed as Judd-233. The 1841 No Drapery is distinct from the "regular" Proof 1841 dime of the With Drapery design type, attributed as Fortin-110, which is unique with only a single specimen positively confirmed. The Proof 1841 No Drapery is nearly as rare with just two specimens known, and even more significant due to the status of its design type. For although opinions have differed on this point in the past, the current consensus is that the Proof 1841 No Drapery represents an intermediate design type in the Liberty Seated dime series that, as a transitional issue, should rightly be judged a pattern.

Rewinding the clock somewhat, we come to the traditional view of the Proof 1841 No Drapery dime as a product of overzealous die polishing on the part of Mint employees, which removed the drapery around Liberty's left (viewer's right) arm. This view was championed by Walter Breen and Kamal Ahwash, the latter noting in his celebrated Encyclopedia of United States Liberty Seated Dimes 1837-1891:

This variety was struck from the regular hub and not a revision to the previous hub (No Drapery) used. This came about by vigorously lapping the working die in which the excessive polishing removed not only the extra drapery at the elbow, but many other areas of drapery, as well as making the stars appear smaller.

Unfortunately the only specimen of this type available to Ahwash when he made his observations was an impaired Proof (the F.C.C. Boyd coin, see below). In March 2001, however, John McCloskey published the results of his study of high quality images of a second Proof 1841 No Drapery dime, the Superb Gem in the Eric P. Newman Collection that first sold in the modern market through Heritage's May 2015 sale, and is the same coin offered here. McCloskey's observations, including an alternate theory to explain the creation of the Proof 1841 No Drapery dimes, appeared in The Gobrecht Journal, Volume Twenty Seven, Issue #80.

The most significant of McCloskey's findings have been republished by Gerry Fortin on his excellent seateddimevarieties.com website:

The design shown on the 1841 No Drapery dime does not appear on any other coins in the dime series. I believe that mint officials studied impressions made from this design and decided that some modifications would be required before the new design could be used in the Seated dime series. I believe that the master hub for this was modified or that a new master die was prepared from the existing hub for this design. I believe that this new master die was modified by adding some drapery folds under the arm on the left to make it appear that the gown extended out behind the arm. I believe that drapery folds were then cut into the master die below the arm and the leg. The intent again would be to make it appear that the gown extended out behind the arm to reduce the separation of the arm from the rest of the seated figure. I believe that this modified design was then used to prepare the hub for the With Drapery obverse that was used for nearly twenty years in the Seated dime series. The denticle count for this new With Drapery obverse was 132, the same as the denticle count on the 1841 No Drapery Obverse...

The theory that the 1841 No Drapery obverse was an intermediate design for the With Drapery obverse is supported by some key features in this design. Specifically the two vertical line segments on the shield above the E (in LIBERTY) and the short pole segment between the index finger and the cap are sharper than the same features on the other coins of the period. These features are even stronger on the 1841 No Drapery obverse than they are on the proof coins of the period. The strength of these features indicates that the transfer process used to produce the With Drapery hub weakened the design in these areas so that it would no longer contain the fine detail projected on the 1841 No Drapery obverse.

McCloskey's theory is now widely accepted, and has been expanded upon by John W. Dannreuther in the 2025 volume in his United States Proof Coins reference series. The Proof 1841 No Drapery is regarded as an important transitional issue unlike and distinct from both the initial No Drapery Liberty Seated dime type of 1838 to 1840 and its With Drapery successor introduced in 1840. Writing for PCGS CoinFacts Ron Guth opines that the Proof 1841 No Drapery dime "deserves recognition as one of the rarest of all U.S. coins."

Including examples of both the No Drapery and With Drapery types, and as previously related, only three Proof 1841 Liberty Seated dimes have been positively confirmed as of this writing:

No Drapery, Fortin-101

1 - NGC/CAC Proof-67+. Ex Lyman H. Low's sale of the Edmund A. Ward Collection, November 1906, lot 117, part of an 1841 silver Proof set; Virgil Brand, Brand Journal #35899 (dime only, as the other coins from the silver Proof set were listed separately in Brand's records); Brand estate; Armin Brand; consigned to Burdette G. Johnson, sold October 1935 for $75; "Colonel" E.H.R. Green; Green estate; partnership of Eric P. Newman and Burdette G. Johnson, doing business as St. Louis Stamp & Coin Co.; Eric P. Newman, acquired for $250; Eric P. Newman Numismatic Education Society; Heritage's sale of the Eric P. Newman Collection, Part II, November 2013, lot 33322; Eugene H. Gardner; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part III, May 2015, lot 98262; Heritage's sale of the Phyllis Norman Collection, January 2022 FUN Signature Auction, lot 4591. The present example, and the primary plate coin for the Fortin-101 dies on the seatddimevarieties.com website.

2 - PCGS Proof-50. Ex F.C.C. Boyd; Numismatic Gallery's sale of the "World's Greatest Collection" (Boyd), Part IV, May 1945, lot 519; New Netherlands Coin Company, Inc.'s 57th Sale, December 1963, lot 466; Kagin's Sale of the Seventies, November 1973, lot 1107; Heritage's 1993 ANA Sale, July, lot 5212; Heritage's Long Beach Signature Sale of October 2001, lot 6029, as NGC Proof-53; Heritage's CSNS Signature Auction of April-May 2016, lot 4577, as NGC Proof-53. The Ahwash plate coin.

With Drapery, Fortin-110

1 - PCGS/CAC Proof-63 Cameo. Ex Heritage's 1994 ANA Sale, July 1994, lot 6454; our (Bowers and Merena's) Collections of Herman Halpern & Gerald O. Warner sale, March 1997, lot 2215, as PCGS Proof-62; David Lawrence's sale of the Richmond Collection, Part III, March 2005, lot 1236, as NGC Proof-63 Cameo; Heritage's sale of the Phil Kaufman Collection of Early Seated Proof Sets, Part II, January 2008 FUN Signature Auction, lot 3019, as NGC Proof-63 Cameo; Heritage's sale of the Greensboro Collection, Part I, October 2012 Dallas Signature Auction, lot 3940, as NGC Proof-63 Cameo; Eugene H. Gardner; Heritage's sale of the Eugene H. Gardner Collection, Part II, October 2014, lot 98286, as NGC/CAC Proof-63 Cameo; Heritage's CSNS Signature Auction of April 2021, lot 5012.

The Newman specimen offered here is not only the finer of the two Proof 1841 No Drapery coins known, but also the finest Proof 1841 Liberty Seated dime irrespective of design type. It is a beautiful Superb Gem with original and attractive toning that includes shades of cobalt blue and reddish-gold. The strike is fully executed and allows ready appreciation of every nuance of this important transitional No Drapery design. The motifs are also softly frosted and offer some contrast with reflective fields. Expertly preserved and a delight to behold.

Representing a fleeting bidding opportunity for advanced specialists in both early U.S. Mint Proof coinage and Liberty Seated dimes, this exquisite specimen would also make a significant addition to a dedicated pattern collection. It will serve as a focal point within any cabinet, and help establish its new owner as one of the most advanced collectors in the current market.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

All winning lots will be shipped domestically via FEDEX, United States Postal Service, or DHL. Please note: A delivery confirmation shipment will be required for all orders. Delivery methods depend on the value of the shipment (for insurance purposes). All orders sent via Priority or Express require a signature confirmation. Please refer to the chart below to see how your winning lots will be shipped. Once your order has shipped, we will send you an email containing the order tracking information.

Total Value of Shipment Shipping Method
$1-$299 First Class
$300-$24,999 Priority or 2-Day
$25,000-$199,999 Express or Overnight
$200,000+ Contact us for Special Arrangements
Chart applies to U.S. addresses only -- items shipped to international addresses from the United States will be delivered via Fed Ex and items shipped from our Hong Office will be delivered via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover.

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Within the United States: All orders are shipped via USPS. All orders will have the following postage and insurance charges in addition to a $.50 handling charge per lot added to the purchase price:

Invoice Amount Postage & Insurance
Up to $299 $12.00
$300- $499 $17.00
$500- $999 $20.00
$1000- $2499 $24.00
$2500- $4999 $27.00
$5000- $9999 $30.00
$10000- $14999 $40.00
$15000- $19999 $45.00
$20000- $24999 $50.00
$25000- $49999 $75.00
$50000- $74999 $100.00
$75000- $99999 $125.00
$100000- $249999 $250.00
$250000+ $400.00


All international orders (including Canada and Mexico) shipped from the United States will be shipped via Fedex or UPS depending on the destination country. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. For shipments from our Hong Kong office via EMS, please refer to the Hong Kong Auction section.

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $2,500 $50.00
$2,501-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$100,000 $75.00
$100,001-$200,000 $125.00
$200,001+ $500 or Contact us for Special Arrangements


All orders shipped from the Hong Kong, China Office are shipped via EMS with the exception of countries that EMS service does not cover. All orders will have an international insurance fee of 1/2% of the subtotal of the invoice (hammer price plus buyers fee), with a minimum insurance fee of $10 plus a $.50 handling charge per lot in addition to the postage below. The following countries have EMS coverage: Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, and Thailand. Our international shipping rates will apply to countries not covered by EMS. If you have special shipping requests from our Hong Kong, China Office, please contact [email protected].

Invoice Amount Postage
Up to $300 $35.00
$301-$1,000 $40.00
$1,001-$2,000 $45.00
$2,001-$3,000 $50.00
$3,001-$5,000 $55.00
$5,001-$10,000 $60.00
$10,001-$25,000 $70.00
$25,001-$50,000 $80.00
$50,001-$75,000 $90.00
$75,001-$100,000 $100.00
$100,000-$200,000 $125.00
$200,000+ $500.00 or Contact us for Special Arrangements

by Stack's Bowers Galleries
June 16, 2026 12:00 PM PDT
1550 Scenic Ave
Suite 150
Costa Mesa, CA, US 92626

Stack's Bowers Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 27% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $20
$100 $199 $20
$200 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $200
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 $999,999 $50,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000