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1859-S Liberty Seated Dollar NGC MS61

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:6,000.00 USD Estimated At:12,000.00 - 15,000.00 USD
1859-S Liberty Seated Dollar NGC MS61
The 1859-S is an historically rare and therefore popular issue as the first U.S. silver dollar delivered by the San Francisco Mint. The mintage of 20,000 pieces seems to have been done at the request of California merchants who desired a readily-accessible supply of dollar coins for use in Far Eastern trade, per the historic findings in the Bowers reference material on seated dollars. Indeed, the Orient was undoubtedly the destination for most 1859-S dollars, of which many never returned to United States shores. Some examples may have remained within the borders of this country, with such pieces accounting for the few circulated survivors in today's market. Since almost none were intentionally set aside at the time of issue, the 1859-S is exceedingly rare in Mint condition.

This sharply defined example is one of, if not the most carefully produced, representatives of this issue that we have ever had the pleasure to auction. Neither Liberty's head on the obverse nor the eagle's legs are overly ill-defined, and the balance of the features are equally crisp. There is a faint die line through the upper torso, however, but this may be mint-caused. Warm old-silver patina overlays both sides, through which muted but satiny luster shines as the coin rotates slightly under illumination. A few spaced abrasions are common and not newsworthy for the assigned grade, with none of them singularly distracting. Here is a coin that would serve as a centerpiece in the finest seated dollar collection. (#6948)