1856-S $3 MS(PCGS#7975)

Spring 2022 U.S. Coins Auction

拍卖行

Stack's Bowers

批号

3085

等级

MS62

价格

129,905

详细说明

Mint State 1856-S Three-Dollar Gold Rarity Small S Mintmark 1856-S Three-Dollar Gold Piece. Small S. MS-62 (PCGS). This highly significant condition rarity would do justice to the finest three-dollar gold collection. Satiny honey-gold surfaces display tinges of pale rose iridescence under a light. The strike is as close to full as one could realistically expect for a circulation strike example of this type, and we note only the characteristic softness of detail at the ribbon that binds the base of the wreath on the reverse. The appearance is very smooth for the assigned grade and not all that far from Choice Mint State quality. Approaching Condition Census for this scarce and challenging issue, astute gold collectors would be wise to take full advantage of the opportunity that this offering represents. The 1856-S is one of only five San Francisco Mint issues in the three-dollar gold series (a number that includes the unique 1870-S), and it is the most frequently encountered thanks to a relatively generous mintage of 34,500 pieces. As with all early gold issues from the West Coast branch mint, however, the 1856-S circulated extensively and suffered a high rate of attrition. Survivors are scarce and typically grade no finer than EF, often with significant impairments. In Mint State the 1856-S is rare, and we would be surprised to learn that more than 20 or 25 coins are extant at that level of preservation. Off the market for decades prior to being certified for the first time in advance of our November 2017 offering, this coin is one of the finest examples of the issue that we have ever handled and is sure to see spirited bidding at auction. Writing in their 2005 reference on this series, Q. David Bowers and Doug Winter identify three mintmark styles for the 1856-S three-dollar gold. The Large S features the same mintmark used for the 1855-S and 1857-S, and it is a formidable rarity that accounts for no more than two or three percent of extant examples of the 1856-S (if it actually exists). The Small S, offered here, is the second rarest mintmark style of the issue with only 15% or so of survivors featuring this style. The Small S is typically found in lower circulated grades, a fact that further confirms the significance of the present Mint State coin. The Medium S accounts for most 1856-S threes in numismatic hands. Provenance: From the Huberman Collection. Earlier ex B. Max Mehl, lot tag #2237 from an unrecorded sale included; our sale of the Alexander Collection, November 2017 Baltimore Auction, lot 10158. PCGS Population: 4; 7 finer (MS-64 finest). PCGS# 7975. NGC ID: 25M9. Click here for certification details from PCGS.