The Draped Bust Dime was the first dime to be circulated. Circulation began in 1796. It featured the same obverse and reverse design as the rest of the Draped Bust Series, which was designed by Robert Scot. The Obverse featured Liberty and was based upon a drawing by Gilbert Stuart. The reverse featured a bald eagle surrounded by palm and olive branches perched on a cloud. The Draped Bust dime did not display it's minted value, which was legal at the time according to the Coinage Act of 1792.
All 1796 draped bust dimes have 15 stars on the obverse, which was representative of the number of states in the union at the time. This number was changed to 16 in 1797, after Tennessee joined the Union. The coin was then ordered to just feature 13 stars for the original colonies as designed realized the design would become cluttered as states continued to join the Union. This makes the 1797 design very rare as they can feature both 13 and 16 star versions.
The Draped Bust design continued through 1807, though no coins were minted in 1799 or 1806.
