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Description

1856-S/S Gold Dollar, MS64
Sole S-Mint Type Two Issue

1856-S/S G$1 FS-501 MS64 PCGS. CAC. This attractive Type Two gold dollar shows the diagnostics of Breen-6045, the Doubled S variety, discovered by Walter Breen in 1959. Nearly half of the extra S, to the upper right of the primary S mintmark, is plain. A total of 24,600 pieces were struck of this issue, which is scarce in all grades and decidedly rare at the Mint State level. The story of the 1856-S must have been the same as all other West Coast gold and silver struck in the early years of the San Francisco Mint: modest mintages, heavy usage in the channels of commerce, and few pieces set aside in high grades.

The present example is beautifully toned in two shades of pumpkin-orange, with accents of pale blue on the obverse. The surfaces are slightly reflective, as sometimes seen with this issue. The design elements are generally well-struck, though the hair at Liberty's head is a touch soft. A couple of heavy die cracks show on the obverse, indicating a late die state. In fact, this is probably the terminal state for this obverse die. A few small, trivial marks are observed in the fields, specifically in front of Liberty's coronet, but these do not detract in the least from the overall gorgeous eye appeal. The 1856-S is remarkably scarce in the better grades of Uncirculated. Our auction records show that this is only the tenth time Heritage has offered an example in MS64 condition, with the other appearances in 2005 (2), 2006 (2), 2008 (1), 2013 (1), and 2015 (3). We believe these citations represent only three or four different coins. Population: 3 in 64, 0 finer (11/15).
Ex: Rod Sweet Collection; Palm Beach Signature (Heritage, 3/2005), lot 6813; Summer FUN Signature (Heritage, 6/2008), lot 1777.

Coin Index Numbers: (NGC ID# 25C8, Variety PCGS# 145703, Base PCGS# 7536, Greysheet# 351835)

Weight: 1.67 grams

Metal: 90% Gold, 10% Copper


View Certification Details from PCGS

Auction Info

Auction Dates
January, 2016
6th-11th Wednesday-Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 7
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 862

Buyer's Premium per Lot:
17.5% of the successful bid per lot.

Sold on Jan 7, 2016 for: $41,125.00
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