1861-S Liberty Seated Dime. Fortin-101. Rarity-5+. MS-62 (PCGS).A beautiful and original example of this San Francisco rarity. Soft, satiny luster glows beneath the delicate patina of olive and slate-grey tones. Just a touch of light rub shows on the obverse, and the reverse is left impressively preserved under inspection. The strike is sharp for the issue, providing Libertys portrait with an intricate facial expression and leaving the wreath boldly defined. Handsome and without a single distracting imperfection. <p>Though produced to a moderate quantity of 172,500 pieces, the 1861-S dime is considerably scarce due to the extensive role this issue played in the flourishing commerce of the American West. It ranks as the most challenging San Francisco Mint dime of the 1860s and is incredibly rare in Mint Sate with just about 10 Uncirculated survivors known. The present piece is a relative newcomer to this limited census, having last been offered as part of our (Stacks) sale of the Hall Park McCullough Estate in November 1967 over 50 years ago. With just 4 pieces certified finer at PCGS, it is a significant representative of this issue that will surely appeal to advanced Liberty Seated dime specialists and <em>PCGS Registry Set</em> participants.From the William B. Martin Collection. Earlier ex our (Stacks) sale of the Hall Park McCullough Estate, November 1967, lot 282.
