1900-S

San Francisco rolled out a workhorse production run in 1900, striking just under 2.46 million Coronet Head twenties as the Bay Area economy absorbed the lingering aftershocks of the Klondike rush and steady Trans-Pacific bullion settlements. The output sat comfortably between the 2,010,300 pieces dated 1899-S and the 1,596,000 figure for the 1901-S, and the issue is squarely a Type 3 design study from the third decade of the series. Surviving coins reflect that mass-production tempo: most circulated alongside Wells Fargo express shipments and bank reserves, and large numbers eventually made the round trip back through assay and Treasury holdings before the 1933 recall and the European bag releases of the 1950s and 1960s.

Strike quality on the issue is a study in San Francisco consistency. PCGS describes the typical coin as overall sharply struck, with only minor softness occasionally visible in a few obverse stars and on the eagle's neck feathers, and luster usually presents as satiny rather than the heavy frost seen on Carson City output of the era. Census data tells the condition story plainly: through MS62 and MS63 the date is freely available, with PCGS and NGC together reporting thousands of certified events at those tiers, but the supply tightens above MS64. Choice MS64 examples become genuinely scarce, near-gem coins with original color trade actively at premiums, and Gem MS65 pieces remain disproportionately elusive given the seven-figure mintage.

That contrast between bulk availability and high-end scarcity defines the date's market profile. NGC has certified examples as high as MS66 and MS67 in extremely limited grading events, and a Heritage Auctions sale on February 9, 2006 produced a benchmark MS66 result of $34,500, a figure that still anchors discussion of the issue's true ceiling. For collectors building a date run or a representative Type 3 cabinet, the 1900-S provides an unusually attainable San Francisco entry through MS63 while preserving real upside for those willing to chase a registry-grade survivor. Additional context, design notes, and adjacent dates appear in the full Liberty Head Double Eagle series history.