1890-S $1 MS DMPL

Key to Collecting: With the 1890-S, the San Francisco Mint again turned out coins that for the most part are well struck, lustrous, and very attractive, this at a time when workmanship at New Orleans was often downright sloppy. While the 1890-S is by no means a common date, choice and gem examples are well within the reach of most readers of this book.

Surface Quality: Usually seen well struck. Exceptions should not be purchased. Usually encountered with attractive luster. The VAM text mentions that cloudy spots are sometimes seen on the surface, these due to dampness after striking.

Prooflike Coins: Quite a few prooflike coins exist, but not many have the combination of deep mirror quality (DMPL) plus freedom from bagmarks.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: January, 500,000; February, 600,000; March, 600,000; April, 600,000; May, 800,000; June, 800,000; July, 800,000; August, 760,000; September, 700,000; October, 660,000; November, 667,373; December, 743,000. Many 1890-S dollars were released in the era they were minted, and many others went into storage at the San Francisco Mint. Probably, many were melted under the Pittman Act in 1918. Bags were paid out over a period of years, including large quantities in the 1940’s and 1950’s. As the 1890-S has a large mintage figure, the issue was viewed as common and attracted scant numismatic interest. The Redfield hoard (1976) is said to have contained 20 to 40 bags.

Among varieties from 29 or more obverse and 46 reverse dies made for this coinage, VAM-12 has a notably repunched date, particularly at the tops of 90. VAM-17 has the mintmark sharply tilted to the left.