1887-S

The 1887-S Liberty Head Half Eagle holds a quiet but important place in the series. Philadelphia did not strike a single business-strike half eagle in 1887, producing only a tiny run of about 87 proofs for collectors. That makes the San Francisco issue the sole circulation half eagle bearing an 1887 date, and every coin a working bank, express office, or West Coast merchant handled that year came out of this mintage of 1,912,000 pieces. San Francisco's role through the late 1880s was steady and industrial, turning refined Western bullion into coin for Pacific commerce, payrolls, and bank reserves. The Type 2 With Motto design by Christian Gobrecht continued without changes, with Liberty in her coronet on the obverse and the heraldic eagle clutching the IN GOD WE TRUST scroll on the reverse.

Authentication starts with the standard physical specs. Genuine examples weigh 8.359 grams, measure 21.6 mm across, and carry the 90 percent gold, 10 percent copper alloy with a reeded edge. A coin that falls noticeably outside the weight standard is a serious warning sign. The S mintmark sits below the eagle on the reverse, centered between the tail feathers and the denomination, and it should look struck into the die rather than tooled or soldered onto the field. Because 1887-S is the only circulation 1887 half eagle, no Philadelphia business strike exists for an altered-mintmark scheme to draw from, which simplifies the variety question. What collectors do need to watch for is added-mintmark work transferred from common San Francisco dates of similar appearance, plus the usual cleaning tells: hairline drag marks across Liberty's cheek and unnatural brightness in the recessed areas around the stars.

For collectors today the 1887-S is broadly available in circulated grades and through MS-62, trading at modest premiums over bullion. The interesting jump comes at MS-64 and finer, where clean cheeks, full luster, and original color command real money. The date also carries a story-driven appeal because it is the only 1887 circulation half eagle a collector can hold, and a sensible companion piece next to the rare 1887 proof. Anyone building a date set or a San Francisco type collection will pass through this issue, and it pairs nicely with a deeper read of the Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.