2226

1870-S S$1 XF40 PCGS. The rarest regular issue silver 1870-S[S$1] XF40 PCGS.

Currency:USD Category:Coins & Paper Money / US Coins Start Price:475,000.00 USD Estimated At:1.00 - 1,000,000.00 USD
1870-S S$1 XF40 PCGS. The rarest regular issue silver 1870-S[S$1] XF40 PCGS.
<B>1870-S<S$1> XF40 PCGS.</B></I> The rarest regular issue silver dollar ever coined at any United States Mint. From the Alfred and Jackie Ostheimer Collections. Light silvery-gray with luster in the protected areas and well struck. The small "S" mintmark is placed just below the end of the stem, in the correct location which matches the other known examples. Examination will note several faint pin scratches in the left and right obverse field, a few also cross the lower drapery of Liberty and a small nick resides between the third and fourth stars. On the edge past the seventh star there is a small test mark. These will serve to identify this rarity in the future. On balance the coin has a very pleasant appearance and the surface marks are minimally distracting. An incredible rarity in any grade, and one of the rarest American coins struck for circulation.<BR> Curiously, there are no mint records attesting to this coin being struck, but this fact is mitigated by the mere presence of nearly a dozen of these 1870-S Seated dollars today. Furthermore, there is a single 1870-S Seated half dime and of course the unique 1870-S Indian Three dollar gold piece, neither of which is recorded in the San Francisco Mint records.<BR> The San Francisco Mint had just started the foundation work for a new building in 1870 and many have theorized that the Seated half dime, Seated silver dollar and Indian Princess three dollar gold coins were struck for inclusion in the corner stone of that building, with a few extras coined for dignitaries or perhaps the coiner. Reportedly when the cornerstone of the famous "Granite Lady" San Francisco Mint was examined no coins were found inside. The famous unique Indian Princess three dollar gold coin can trace its pedigree back to the San Francisco Mint Coiner, J. B. Harmstead, his heirs sold this unique coin around 1907. The 1870-S Seated dollars were obviously struck in tiny numbers, but seemed to have entered circulation. How many were coined is not known, but obviously the number was quite small as so few are known today. In absolute terms, the 1870-S Seated dollar is one of the rarest of all United States coins struck for circulation, and remains one of the truly great classics of the ages.<BR> The current NGC and PCGS combined Population Reports note the following specimens: PCGS MS62; NGC MS62; NGC AU58; PCGS AU58; NGC AU50, PCGS AU50, NGC XF40 (3 pieces) and PCGS XF40. One of the NGC XF40 pieces will be removed from their <I>Census</B></I> as the present Richmond Collection coin crossed over from the NGC XF40 holder to the current PCGS XF40 but that insert is still here in our offices at the time of this writing (10/05). <I>The following is a Census of the known specimens of the 1870-S Seated silver dollar which was first published in the Eliasberg Sale by Bowers and Merena Galleries in 1997.<BR> 1). Granberg Specimen MS62. Henry O. Granberg; illustrated in the 1914 ANS Exhibition; Waldo C. Newcomer; William H. Woodin; Colonel E. H. R. Green; Burdette C. Johnson; Anderson Du Pont around 1944; Stack's DuPont Sale 1954; Ambassador and Mrs. R. Henry Norweb; Bowers and Merena's Norweb Sale (November 1988), lot 3825; Jim Jessen.<BR> 2). James A. Stack Coin MS62 or AU58. Probably Colonel E. H. R. Green; Morton and Joseph Stack; James A. Stack in 1944; Stack's Stack Sale (March 1995), lot 212.<BR> 3). Eliasberg Coin XF45-AU50. Stack's George C. Hall Sale (May, 1945), lot 1576; Mehl's Will W. Neil Sale (1947), lot 202; Stack's; Louis E. Eliasberg; Bowers and Merena Eliasberg Sale (April, 1997), lot 2243. <BR> 4). The Present Example PCGS XF40 recently crossed from NGC XF40. Compton Collection; M. H. Bolender; Alfred and Jackie Ostheimer; Merkin's Ostheimer Sale (September, 1968), lot 372 bought in; Superior's Gilhousen Sale (October, 1973), lot 1339; Superior's 1975 ANA Sale (August, 1975), lot 1125; Julian M. Leidman; Gary Sturtridge; Bowers and Ruddy's ANA Sale (August, 1978), lot 1160; James E. Pohrer; Kagin's 1983 ANA Sale (August, 1983), lot 2707; Leon Hendrickson and Sal Fusco; Private collection; Phoenix Rare Coin Galleries July 1992; David Lawrence Rare Coins Richmond Sale (November, 2004) lot 1497 to the present consignor.<BR> 5). Eureka Coin, F/VF scratched. Reportedly discovered by an 18 year old man from Eureka, California before 1922 who kept it until the 1970s. Numerous scratches and nicks. Steve Ivy's Donovan II Sale (July, 1978), lot 1128; Manfra, Tordella and Brookes; Auction '85 (July, 1985), lot 1270.<BR> Stickney Specimen, VF. Matthew Stickney sold privately, rim spot below 7. Likely Colonel E. H. R. Green; James Kelley; Jack V. Roe; James Kelley; Clint Hestor or Charles M. Williams; Numismatic Gallery's Menjou Sale (1950) lot 2181; Abe Kosoff inventory 1955; Fairbanks Collection of Ben Koenig; Stack's (1960), lot 617; Stack's Samuel Wolfson Sale (1963), lot 1431; Stack's R. L. Miles, Jr. Sale (1969), lot 1612; Stack's 1978 Autumn Sale, lot 345 to David Queller.<BR> 7). Carter Coin, VF. Waldo C. Newcomer; B. Max Mehl; Colonel E. H. R Green; Burdette C. Johnson; Jerome Kern; B. Max Mehl sale (1950), lot 941; Amon G. Carter; Stack's Carter Sale (January, 1984), lot 285; Stack's L .R. French Sale (November, 1989), lot 546.<BR> 8). Shultz Coin, Fine. Norman Shultz Sale (December, 1935), lot 1302; B. Max Mehl; King Farouk; Sotheby's Palace Sale, (1954), lot 1676; 1960 ANA Sale lot 1168; Kreisberg-Schulman Sale (April, 1967), lot 1253; Stack's (March, 1987), lot 1203, private collection.<BR> 9). Boyd coin, VF tooled. William Hesslein Sale (December, 1926), lot 900; initials F.H.I. engraved before Liberty. F. C. C. Boyd; Numismatic Gallery Sale (1945), lot 271; Hollinbeck Sale (February, 1951), lot 1248; Earl M. Skinner, New Netherlands Sale (November, 1952), lot 162; Charles A. Cass collection; Stack's Empire sale (1957), lot 1759; Hollinbeck Coin Company's 274th Sale (November, 1967), lot 1162 and Stack's (June, 1996), lot 1940.<BR> 10). San Francisco coin. Mint State (not verified). San Francisco Mint employee, 1870 to family of preceding. Owned by San Francisco area military officer, examined by dealer Sam E. Frudakis who was not able to retain the coin for verification and identification.<BR> 11). A specimen rumored to be in the cornerstone of the "Granite Lady" San Francisco Mint, not verified.</B></I><BR><I>From The Jack Lee Collection, III</B></I>