1902-S $1 MS PL

Key to Collecting: The 1902-S is plentiful enough in Mint State that you will have your choice among many. However, most are lightly struck, and some also have parallel die striations located, well, where else but the most prominent place on the coin: on Liberty’s face. Luster is usually satiny, sometimes dull, and nearly always without much life. Most from the Treasury releases are in grades MS-60 to MS-62, often baggy, sometimes MS-63, but not often MS-64 or finer.

Surface Quality: Typically shallowly struck or of medium sharpness, seldom sharp, and it can be that several hundred pieces can be examined and not a sharp specimen found. Cherry picking is the order of the day, and get set for extensive effort. The luster of the 1902-S is typically quite good, somewhat satiny.

Prooflike Coins: Some dies are prooflike but have little contrast. DMPL coins are very rare, are known only in low grades, and win no awards or even favorable mention for eye appeal.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: January–August, 0; September, 500,000; October, 510,000; November, 520,000; December, 0. From the outset, 1902-S dollars were paid into circulation, furnishing a supply for anyone interested. Others went into storage at the San Francisco Mint. Bag quantities were released in the late 1920’s, again in the 1940’s and early 1950’s, and at a few other times. However, in later years, when investing and trading in bags became popular in numismatic circles, few quantities were to be found.

Many varieties exist, some with new hub (introduced in 1900), and others with new hub over old hub, and with some slight features of the undertype visible; check VAM for details. For this year, 20 obverse and 7 reverse dies were prepared.