1860-S Three-Dollar Gold Piece. EF-45 (PCGS). CAC. Remarkably well preserved and attractive despite having seen light commercial use, this premium Choice EF San Francisco Mint $3 gold coin really needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Both sides are exceptionally smooth with not even a single distracting mark or other blemish to report. Glints of pale silver-gray patina mingle with dominant deep honey-orange color, the appearance undeniably original. Boldly defined overall with stronger eye appeal than many certified AU examples of this issue offered in todays market.<p>The 1860-S (just 7,000 pieces produced), is the rarest of the early San Francisco Mint three-dollar gold issues. In their 2005 book <em>The United States $3 Gold Pieces: 1854-1889</em>, Q. David Bowers and Douglas Winter account for fewer than 150 survivors in all grades. The vast majority of examples in numismatic hands grade no finer than VF. Premium quality examples with CAC approval are rare at all levels, which fact confirms the significance of this offering for advanced three-dollar gold specialists. PCGS# 7981. NGC ID: 25MF. CAC Population: 5; 11. From the George Schwenk Collection.
