1888-S

The 1888-S Liberty Head Half Eagle came out of the San Francisco Mint with a reported mintage of 293,900 pieces. By the standards of the West Coast branch, that is a workmanlike production figure for the year. San Francisco was deep into its role as a coiner of gold for Pacific commerce, and the Type 2 With Motto half eagle was a familiar workhorse in that economy. Coins of this date were struck on standard 8.359 gram planchets of 90 percent gold and 10 percent copper, measured 21.6 mm across, and carried the reeded edge that protected the rims from clipping. Christian Gobrecht's coronet portrait of Liberty looked westward in the same form it had worn for decades, with IN GOD WE TRUST riding on the ribbon above the eagle on the reverse. Most pieces went straight into circulation in the Western states, where they served bank counters, shipping firms, and exchange houses rather than collector cabinets.

Authenticating an 1888-S half eagle starts with the basic vital signs. A genuine coin should weigh very close to 8.359 grams and measure 21.6 mm in diameter, and a deviation of more than a few hundredths of a gram is a serious warning sign. The S mintmark sits beneath the eagle on the reverse, and its placement and font should match other San Francisco half eagles of the late 1880s rather than appearing tooled, raised, or pasted on. Counterfeiters sometimes alter a Philadelphia coin by adding a fake S, so look closely for disturbed metal in the field around the mintmark and for any shallow seam where a punch might have been pressed. Strike on the 1888-S tends to be reasonably sharp at the centers, with normal softness on the highest curls of Liberty's hair and the eagle's neck feathers. Even, mellow yellow gold luster is the rule.

For collectors today, the 1888-S is one of the more reachable San Francisco half eagles from the late nineteenth century. Circulated examples in Very Fine and Extremely Fine grades show up regularly at auction and in dealer inventories at modest premiums over the gold value of the coin. About Uncirculated and lower Mint State pieces are obtainable with patience, while sharply struck Choice and Gem Uncirculated examples are far scarcer and command real premiums. The date plays an important role in any branch-mint or date set of the series, because it is a year when San Francisco was both prolific and consistent. For a deeper look at how this issue fits into the broader run, see the Liberty Head Half Eagle series history.