1856-S

San Francisco's 1856 double eagle production of 1,189,750 pieces was the branch mint's first issue to exceed 1 million coins, continuing the steady ramp from the 141,468 inaugural 1854-S to the 879,675 1855-S figure. The 1856-S total exceeded the contemporaneous 329,878 Philadelphia mintage by more than 3 to 1 and dwarfed the famously rare 2,250-piece 1856-O by a factor of more than 500. The disparity within the same calendar year between New Orleans and San Francisco is one of the more striking single-year mint contrasts in 19th-century U.S. coinage, reflecting the relative gold-deposit positions of the two facilities by the mid-1850s. Design specifications are unchanged from prior Type I issues. The S mint mark appears below the eagle on the reverse, the standard Liberty Head double eagle position throughout the San Francisco run from 1854 through 1907.

Strike quality on 1856-S follows the improving San Francisco pattern established with the 1855 issue: clean central detail on Liberty's coronet, full eagle feather separation on most well-preserved examples, and consistent rim and edge work that reflects the branch mint's settling into routine production. Wear on circulated coins concentrates on Liberty's hair above the ear, the coronet, and the eagle's shield and breast feathers. Survival favors circulated grades; AU examples are reasonably available given the high mintage, and Mint State coins through MS62 surface periodically at major auctions. Counterfeit exposure tracks the Type I baseline; PCGS or NGC certification is the standard authentication path for any 1856-S priced above bullion floor. MS63 and finer examples are condition rarities for any Type I S-mint date and trade at registry-set premiums when offered.

Market position for 1856-S is one of the more accessible Type I S-mint issues, with pricing through MS62 comparable to the 1855-S and other high-mintage early SF dates. Pricing in VF through AU runs in the mid four figures, MS60 reaches the high four to low five-figure range near $6,000, and MS63 sits near $21,000 at current market. MS64 and finer examples are condition rarities. For type-set collectors, the 1856-S functions as a Type I S-mint representative at competitive pricing with the Philadelphia alternatives. For date-and-mint set builders, it is a routine acquisition typically handled in the AU through MS62 grade range. The dramatic contrast with the 2,250-piece 1856-O highlights how single-mint output variations within a single calendar year can produce wildly divergent collector demand and pricing tiers. Acquisition is certified only at this unit value. For the broader context of San Francisco Mint's mid-1850s production scale and the simultaneous collapse in O-mint output, see the Liberty Head Gold Double Eagles history article.