USA 1 dollar Seated Liberty 1870
USA, San Francisco
Rarity
Extremely Rare
Attributes of Coins
| Region | USA |
|---|---|
| Denomination | 1 dollar |
| Krause number | KM# 100 |
| Mintage | 15 |
| Metal | Silver 0.900 |
| thickness | 2.8 mm |
| diameter | 38.1 mm |
| weight | 26.73 g |
Obverse:
Liberty
Star
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
LIBERTY
Reverse:
Coat of arms
Creators:
Christian Gobrecht
ONE DOL.
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Introduction of Coins
The 1870 San Francisco Mint silver dollar is one of the great rarities of United States numismatics. Only nine pieces are confirmed to exist, with one additional coin rumored. The number struck was not reported, due to the special nature of this issue. The San Francisco Mint did not anticipate a coinage of silver dollars in 1870, and no dies for this denomination were requested. The laying of the cornerstone for a new mint structure that year, however, called for some form of commemoration. It was desired to include one coin of each denomination dated 1870 within the cornerstone, but dies for several of these were not on hand. San Francisco borrowed an obverse die for the silver dollar that had been used previously by the Carson City Mint. This was paired with a reverse die of the type with motto that evidently had been ordered in some other year since adoption of that feature in 1866. This bore an S mintmark of a style seen on other denominations but that was different from the one used in 1872, the only other date for this mint having the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. It's presumed that one each of all the S-Mint coin denominations dated 1870-S were enclosed within the cornerstone, but attempts over the years to locate said stone have been unsuccessful. The 1870-S half dime and three-dollar pieces are both unique, aside from any additional pieces within the cornerstone, while no example of the quarter dollar has yet surfaced. The nine confirmed 1870-S silver dollars are almost presentation pieces that were given to dignitaries at the time of the cornerstone laying, but it's interesting that several of these are found today well worn. The significance of these coins may have been overlooked in later years, at which time they were evidently spent.Read More
