1875-S

The 1875-S Liberty Head half eagle was struck in San Francisco during one of the leanest production years for U.S. gold coinage. The Mint reported just 9,000 pieces for the date, dwarfed by the same year's SF double eagle output of more than 1.2 million coins. By the mid-1870s most West Coast bullion was flowing into the larger denominations, and the half eagle was treated as a low-priority workhorse. The 1875-S belongs to the Type 2 With Motto subseries, which carries the IN GOD WE TRUST scroll above the eagle added in 1866. Within the San Francisco half eagle run it ranks alongside 1864-S, 1866-S No Motto, and 1876-S as one of the toughest dates of the entire branch-mint sequence, with the 1875 Philadelphia issue of just 200 pieces standing as its only national peer.

Authentication starts with the standard specifications. Genuine examples weigh 8.359 grams, measure 21.6 mm in diameter, and are struck in 0.900 fine gold alloyed with 0.100 copper, producing the warm yellow color characteristic of San Francisco gold. The edge is reeded and alignment is coin orientation, with the reverse rotated 180 degrees from the obverse. The mintmark is a small S placed on the reverse below the eagle, and collectors should examine its style and placement against documented Mint State references because added or altered mintmarks have surfaced on this date for decades. Surfaces typically show the wear of a coin that circulated for years, and any piece offered as Mint State should carry major-service certification.

The surviving population is estimated at only 50 to 60 examples across all grades, with the majority falling in the VF to XF range and Mint State coins essentially nonexistent. PCGS and NGC together have certified fewer than three dozen distinct survivors, and a presentable XF can take years to appear at public auction. Heritage has handled mid-grade examples in the high four-figure to low five-figure range when they do come to market. Demand comes from advanced date collectors building complete San Francisco half eagle sets and from gold rarity specialists, both of whom recognize this date as a true condition rarity. For deeper context on the broader design and its production span, see the Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.