1891-S

The 1891-S is the final San Francisco Seated Liberty Dime, closing a 36-year branch-mint dime program that ran continuously from the 1856-S first-year issue through this issue. San Francisco delivered 3,196,116 pieces, the second-largest single-year S-mint dime output of the series behind the 4,454,450-piece 1887-S. The figure reflects the strong working-stock demand for the final-year delivery before the Barber redesign moved S-mint dime production into a new design cycle starting in 1892. The same-year mint program ran exceptionally broad: Philadelphia struck 15,310,000, New Orleans returned to dime production for the first time since 1860 with 4,540,000, and San Francisco added this 3.2-million-piece run. The coin is a Legend, No Arrows issue under the 1873 weight standard of 2.50 grams, with the S mintmark inside the wreath on the reverse, below the bow, in the standard placement the branch had used continuously across the full 1856-1891 dime program.

Strike quality on the year is solid for a branch-mint issue, running above the typical S-mint baseline of the earlier 1880s and reflecting the modern working equipment and consistent die maintenance of the late-decade San Francisco operation. Most examples show good central detail on Liberty's head, sharp shield rivets, and clean wreath veining, though softness on the ribbon bow can appear on later working-die states. Two minor working-die varieties are documented: a small over large S mintmark pairing (where a small S punch was used over a larger initial S strike) and light date repunching on certain working dies. The small-over-large S variety is catalogued and carries a modest premium for variety specialists but does not rise to the major-variety pricing tier. Survivors are common through Very Fine and Extremely Fine, with About Uncirculated examples available at routine intervals and Mint State coins reachable through MS-64. Authentication relies on the 2.50-gram weight, 17.9-millimeter reeded edge, and the S mintmark placement; counterfeits exist (an S added to a Philadelphia 1891) but at low fraud pressure given the modest premium over the parent issue.

For a date-and-mint Seated Dime set, the 1891-S is one of the easier S-mint fills of the closing decade and the standard final-year branch acquisition for collectors building a complete San Francisco sub-run. The Regular classification fits the issue accurately. The historical significance of the date (the last S-mint Seated dime, closing a 36-year branch-mint program) gives the coin a quiet appeal beyond its price, and the modest premium over the parallel Philadelphia 1891 reflects this set-completion demand more than any mintage scarcity. For the broader story of Gobrecht's design, the 1892 Barber Dime transition, and the series' production arc, see the Seated Liberty Dime series history.