1915-S Indian Eagle. MS-64 (PCGS).Wisps of powder blue and pale reddish-russet adorn otherwise golden-orange surfaces on both sides of this handsome near-Gem. Sharply struck.<p>Only 59,000 eagles were struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1915 and while some were released into general circulation, many were retained in the Mints vaults. While many Philadelphia-produced eagles ended up in overseas banks for the next several decades, the 1915-S eagles that remained in the San Francisco Mints vaults ended up in Treasury melting pots in the 1930s, sharply reducing the number of surviving examples. The comparatively few coins that did make it into public hands saw active use in the Western states where gold remained the preferred medium of exchange. Consequently, of the roughly one thousand or so extant pieces, perhaps one-third are Mint State, in contrast to some of the contemporary Eastern issues where Mint State specimens are more the rule. Of these few Mint State specimens, the majority are at the lowest levels, with the issue becoming conditionally challenging beginning at the Choice level. This is a particularly attractive opportunity for the astute twentieth century gold specialist.
