1873-S Liberty Head Half Eagle. AU-50 (PCGS). CAC. Pretty pinkish-honey surfaces are well defined overall with strong luster quality for the assigned grade. The mintage of 31,000 coins reported for the 1873-S is on par with those of other San Francisco Mint fives from the late 1860s and early 1870s and, like those other issues, heavy commercial use on the West Coast claimed most of the coins. This issue is scarce even in well worn condition, while in the popular collector grades of EF and AU only a few small handfuls remain. With only two Mint State examples known (both graded MS-61, one each by PCGS and NGC), the importance of this coin for advanced collectors of San Francisco Mint and/or Liberty Head gold coinage can hardly be overstated.
