1910-S $5 MS66 Certification #-1654, PCGS #8519

Estimated grade. Purchased by Louis Eliasberg when he acquired the John Clapp collection in 1942. Acquired by John Clapp directly from the San Francisco Mint in 1910. Purchased at the Bowers & Ruddy Oct '82 Eliasberg sale by David Hall and Gordon Wrubel for $12,100. Later in the Dr. Thaine Price collection. Lot #627.

David Akers (1975/88)

The 1910-S is a rare coin in all Mint State grades, and nearly all of the available specimens are MS-63 or less. Some very nice pieces, i.e. full MS-65 gems, do exist although I do not recall ever seeing one that could be graded "superb" (MS-67). There may be as many as eight to 10 MS-65 or 65+ coins in existence with the finest being the Eliasberg coin now owned by Dr. Thaine Price. The Dr. Steven Duckor specimen (ex Johnson-Meyer sale, 1978) is also a gem as was the Kruthoffer (ex Niemeyer) coin, one in my personal collection, and a handful of others.

This issue is always well struck with a sharply defined mintmark. Like the 1909-S, to which it is similar in overall appearance, the typical 1910-S has a "soft" frosty finish, although others do exist that have a definite satiny surface. Color is nearly always very good to excellent, with the typical specimen displaying a rose, orange or light coppery gold color.