1915-S

San Francisco's 1915 double eagle production of 567,500 pieces was a moderate S-mint output, roughly 38 percent of the 1914-S figure and well below the peak-year runs from 1909-S and 1910-S. The S mint mark appears above the date on the obverse. 1915-S is the second-to-last pre-hiatus S-mint issue in the series, followed by the 1916-S 796,000-piece run before the three-year production pause of 1917 through 1919 halted all double eagle coinage nationally. Design specifications remain unchanged from 1914-S: low-relief striding Liberty with 48 stars on the obverse, eagle-and-sun reverse with IN GOD WE TRUST above the sun, and lettered E PLURIBUS UNUM edge. Production proceeded at normal throughput at San Francisco that year, with no documented die-state issues or varieties catalogued for the date.

Strike quality on 1915-S reflects San Francisco's consistent Motto-era die work: central detail on Liberty and the eagle comes up sharply on most examples, with clean separation on the eagle's primary feathers and good definition across the 48-star obverse. Wear on circulated examples follows the series pattern, with Liberty's forward knee and breast and the eagle's breast and leading wing first to show friction. Grade distribution runs through VF-AU and into Mint State; MS63 and MS64 examples are widely available, with MS65 representing a clear step up in price and scarcity. MS66 and above is a condition-rarity category for this date, and populations thin considerably at that level. European bank hoard returns supplied a substantial portion of the surviving Mint State population. Counterfeit exposure is common-date baseline, addressed by PCGS or NGC certification as the standard acquisition practice.

Market position for 1915-S is common-to-moderate-tier Saint-Gaudens, with pricing that tracks gold content plus a consistent numismatic premium through MS64. The middle-tier mintage, plentiful European hoard survival in Mint State grades, and the fact that 1915-S is not individually scarce enough to command key-date pricing all combine to keep the date accessible for collectors. MS65 and above opens registry-set territory with meaningfully stronger pricing, and MS66+ examples with CAC approval have traded at multi-thousand-dollar premiums over common-grade pricing. For date-and-mint set builders, the 1915-S is a routine acquisition, typically handled at MS63 or MS64 where availability and pricing are best aligned. Acquisition is certified only at this unit value, both for counterfeit protection and for grading discipline at the MS65+ levels where premium pricing kicks in. For the broader context of the pre-hiatus S-mint production and the 1917-1919 shutdown, see the St. Gaudens Gold $20 Double Eagles history article.