The coin’s obverse features the image of Liberty seated on a rock. Liberty is holding a shield with one hand while the other hand is holding a pole with a liberty cap on top. The coin’s reverse features a simple wreath of laurel. The coin has undergone several design alterations throughout the series.

The design was updated in 1860, keeping the Liberty Seated motif on the obverse, but removing the stars and replacing them with the words "United States of America". The words The United States of America were removed from the reverse and the wreath was restyled to a larger format, enclosing the denomination expressed as One Dime. This design was produced from 1860 thorough 1891.