Jeff Garrett:The mintage for this date is tremendous considering how few are known today—around 200 coins. At one time this date was considered to be one of the rarest of the series. No hoards have been found, but scattered examples did show in shipments from Europe. When seen, this San Francisco issue shows the typical beveled edge and satiny gold luster. Striking quality is sharp at the centers and is sometimes found with minor weakness on the Capitol Building. At the time of issue collectors saved some very nice examples of this date. The Smithsonian collection contains three Gem examples of the date, one of which is a Superb MS 67. It’s incredible that someone saved these amazing coins from the melting pots and preserved them for future numismatist to study. It would be interesting to find out why so many great gold coins from this era were saved and sent to the Smithsonian. Remember, the Mint transferred its holdings to the Smithsonian in the early 1920s. A close relationship must have continued for many years between Mint officials and the Smithsonian. We are all lucky it did!