1871-S

The San Francisco Mint struck 25,000 half eagles in 1871, holding to the modest production cadence that defined its early-1870s gold work. California's economy still ran on hard money, and the branch facility kept turning out half eagles, eagles, and double eagles to meet commercial demand on the Pacific coast. The 1871-S falls into the Type 2 With Motto subgroup, the second year that "IN GOD WE TRUST" appeared on the reverse above the eagle. Coronet Liberty designs by Christian Gobrecht had been in service for more than three decades by this point, and the only meaningful change to the half eagle had been that motto, added to reverse dies in 1866. The 25,000-coin figure is comparable to the 1872-S total of 36,000 but well above the tougher 1873-S at 31,000, placing the 1871-S in the middle tier of San Francisco half eagles from the post-Civil War decade.

An authentic 1871-S half eagle weighs 8.359 grams, measures 21.6 millimeters across, and was struck in the standard 90% gold, 10% copper alloy that governed United States gold coinage from 1837 forward. The edge carries fine reeding, and the mintmark sits below the eagle on the reverse, placement that held throughout the Coronet half eagle series. Authentication should focus on weight tolerance, since underweight examples may indicate post-mint damage or, more rarely, contemporary counterfeits made from base metal cores. Genuine pieces also show the soft, slightly grainy luster typical of San Francisco gold from this era, a result of the branch facility's planchet preparation, along with honest circulation wear and minor rim bruises consistent with active commercial use.

Survival estimates suggest roughly 175 to 275 examples remain in collector hands across all grades, concentrated in Very Fine and Extremely Fine. About Uncirculated coins are scarce, and Mint State examples are genuinely rare, with major services certifying fewer than ten combined. As a Semi-Key date, the 1871-S sits a notch below San Francisco rarities like the 1864-S and 1865-S but rewards patient collectors building a date set with solid mid-grade material. Heritage and Stack's Bowers archives show circulated pieces appearing several times per year, with prices scaling steeply once coins enter the AU range. For broader context, see the Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.