1858-S

San Francisco struck just 60,000 Seated Liberty dimes in 1858, the second year of operation for the branch dime press and the joint-lowest output figure of the early S-mint dime run alongside the 1859-S. The 60,000-piece mintage places this issue at the bottom tier of pre-Legend Seated dime production, well under the 290,000-piece New Orleans output and a fraction of the 1.54 million Philadelphia delivery. The branch had only begun striking dimes in 1856, and through the late 1850s the S-mint dime program operated as a secondary line behind the larger silver denominations, with production runs measured in tens of thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands that became routine after the Civil War. This coin is a Stars With Drapery issue under the 1853 weight standard of 2.49 grams, with the S mintmark positioned within the wreath on the reverse.

Survival across grades runs thin. Most documented examples fall in Good through Fine, where heavy West Coast commerce wore the surfaces down quickly on coins that did circulate. Very Fine and Extremely Fine pieces are scarce, About Uncirculated examples genuinely rare, and Mint State coins approach apex condition rarity for the early S-mint dime run. The Greer reference treats the date as a recognized scarcity in the Stars subtype, and population reports from PCGS, the Professional Coin Grading Service, and NGC, the Numismatic Guaranty Company, confirm the steep drop above mid-circulated grades. Authentication starts at the 2.49-gram weight and 17.9-millimeter reeded edge; the S mintmark on early San Francisco dimes is small, often weakly punched, and sits within the wreath on the reverse, which differs from the bolder S used on later Legend-era dies. Altered-mintmark counterfeits exist (an S added to a Philadelphia 1858), and side-by-side photo comparison against documented genuine examples remains the standard verification step.

For collectors, the 1858-S is a genuine early-S Semi-Key with limited stock at every grade level. Circulated examples through Very Fine command meaningful premiums over generic Seated dime pricing, and certified pieces above Extremely Fine require both patience and budget. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1860 Stars-to-Legend obverse transition, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Dime series history.