Deep yellow-gold surfaces display lively luster throughout and rich yellow mint frost in the protected areas. Typical strike for the date with some softness in the ostrich plumes and hair details on the obverse and with some lightness throughout the reverse wreath as well. This example is quite pleasing and high end for the grade. Among dates made for circulation, the 1860-S is one of the rarest of the early varieties in the denomination, as well as the rarest regular-issue San Francisco Mint issue. Walter Breen (Encyclopedia, 1988) noted that 2,592 of the 7,000 coins struck were found to be underweight and were melted and later turned into other denominations, leaving a net mintage for the date of 4,408 coins. The remaining pieces circulated heavily and few if any were intentionally saved. The date is seldom seen in any grade though the occasional well-worn VF example surfaces in the marketplace. EF and AU pieces are rarities in their own right, and Mint State coins are nearly non-existent. In 1971, Don Taxay suggested that there were no Mint State examples of the date to be found. Today, the known population of Mint State 1860-S $3 gold pieces is so small that it can be counted on the fingers of one hand, at least those examples in PCGS holders, and NGC doesn’t list an Uncirculated example above Mint State-61 in their Census. Likely, some of those would have been called AU back in 1971 when standards were more conservative. PCGS# 7981. NGC ID: 25MF.
