Survival Estimate | |
---|---|
All Grades | 12 |
60 or Better | 1 |
65 or Better |
Numismatic Rarity | |
---|---|
All Grades | R-9.5 |
60 or Better | R-10.0 |
65 or Better | R-10.1 |
Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
---|---|
All Grades | 1 / 15 |
60 or Better | 1 / 15 |
65 or Better | 1 / 15 |
Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
---|---|
All Grades | 1 / 45 |
60 or Better | 1 / 45 |
65 or Better | 1 / 45 |
The 1870-S Liberty Seated dollar is one of the most famous U.S. coin rarities. There are just 12 known survivors in all grades. The finest known, and the only mint state survivor, is the PCGS graded MS62 Col Green-James A. Stack-Legend collection specimen.
The 1870-S Silver Dollar is one of the most mysterious of all United States coins. It is one of the few instances where the Mint records give no indication that any were produced at all. Yet there are roughly a dozen examples whose very existence contradicts the official records. Most of the known examples are worn, indicating that mint employees produced a small run, and then placed the coins in circulation. Unfortunately, absent any direct evidence, no one can prove how many were made. However, the point is moot because the collector who seeks to complete a set of Silver Dollars has only the survivors from which to choose. In the case of the 1870-S Silver Dollar, the choices are few and far between.
1870-S Silver Dollars appear on the market an average of once every two years, but there have been periods as long as six years (for instance 1997-2003) when collectors have had zero opportunities to purchase an example.
In 2003, the finest known 1870-S Silver Dollar sold for over one million dollars and every example since then, with the exception of a damaged piece has brought close to or over half a million dollars.