"S"
(for San Francisco, CA) below the eagle's tail on
the reverse.
Introduction:
Years ago the 1856-S double eagle was normally found
mostly in circulated condition. The discovery of the
S.S. Central America profoundly changed the rarity
of this issue. There were more than 1,000 examples
found on the ship, hundreds of which are in Mint State
condition. There are also coins known from other shipwrecks,
some of which display granular surfaces. The surface
of the coins found on the S.S. Central America are
mostly unblemished by their immersion in seawater.
There were several gem examples found, and these are
among the nicest Type 1 double eagles available. The
finest of them, pedigreed to the S.S. Central America
and graded MS-66, sold in October 2004 for $70,000.
When the double eagles from the S.S. Central America
entered the market, they were closely studied for
die-variety attribution. At least 18 different varieties
of the 1856-S issue were identified.
Key to Collecting:
The 1856-S double eagle is readily available in circulated
grades from VF to AU. Mint State coins are plentiful
in the context of Type 1 double eagles, and several
hundred exist, mostly from the treasure recovered
from the S.S. Central America. The Fort Capron hoard
includ¬ed many sand-and-surf etched coins.
Aspects of Striking:
Usually fairly well struck with needle-sharp detail.
Die Data: Standard
four-digit logotype punch for this year. Double eagle
production continued its stride in 1856, and 17 obverse
and 10 reverse dies were shipped to San Francisco
for use to strike this denomination. Probably, some
obverses remained unused and were destroyed. Following
the discover)- of the S.S. Central America Robert
Evans studied the die details carefully and compiled
a list of varieties to which such coins are sometimes
attributed by others. Breen-7184 has 56 (1856) slightly
doubled. Medium S (1.3 mm.) mintmark.
Number of Appearances:
171 (39%)
High Grade Condition Points: 91
Average Grade: VF-39
Auction Records:
(28) Unc: Stack's 9/81; ANA 1980;
Auction'80; B&R 8/80; Hughes 1/80; New England
1/80; Auction '79; ANA 1978; Ivy 7/77; Paramount 4/77;
ANA 1976; AAA 9/75 (2); ANA 1975; Superior 10/74;
AAA 5/74; Stack's 3/74; Gilhousen 1973; Stack's 4/71;
Alto 1970; DiBello 1970; Miles 1968; Kreisberg, Cohen
6/68; Walton 1963; Baldenhofer 1955; Lee 1947; Atwater
1946; Roach 1944
(35) AU:
New England 11 ,/80; Kagin's 9/80; ANA 1980; Kagin's
2/80; Superior 10/79; Stack's 9/79; ANA 1979; Auction
79; Stack's 6/79; Superior 6/79; Kagin's 4, 79; New
England 3, 79; Stack's 6,, 78; Ivy I /78; Stack's
4/77, 4/76, 9/ 75; Pine Tree 6/75; Paramount 5/75
(2); Stack's 4/4/75; AAA 11/74; GENA 1974; ANA 1974;
Stack's 6 74, 2/74, 6/73; Kreisberg/Cohen 9/71; Stack's
1/70; ANA 1969; ANA 1966; Bell 1963; Holmes 1960;
WGC 1946; Bell 1944
(58) EF:
Stack's 6/81, 3/81; B&R 1/81; Stack's 3/80, 2/80(2),
12/79; NASCA 10/79; Superior 10/79; Stack's 9/79;
Ivy 7/79, 2/79; Stack's 2/79, 10/78; Superior 6/78;
Stack's 5/78; B&R 4/78; New England 11/77; Stack's
9/77 (2); New England 7/77; Paramount 7/77; Stack's
6/77; Ivy 4/77; Stack's 2/77; Paramount 2/77, 1 /
77; Coin Galleries 4/76; Paramount 2/76; Coin Galleries
11/75; ANA 1975 (2); Pine Tree 6/75; Stack's 4/30/75;
Davies/Niewoehner 1975; Paramount 11 /74, 5/74; Pine
Tree 3/74; Paramount 5/73; Stack's 2/73, 12/72, 6/72,
2/72; ANA 1971; RARCOA 5/71; Kreisberg/Cohen 11/70;
Stack's 6/70; Paramount 11/69; Stack's 3/69, 3/68,
11/67, 6/67, 4/67; ANA 1962; Menjou 1950; Kern 1950;
MC 1948; Roach 1944
(41) VF:
Coin Galleries 9/81; Stack's 3/81; Kreisberg 9/80;
Auction'80; Stack's 2/80, 12/79; B&R 2/79; Superior
10/78; Kagin's 9/78; Stack's 2/78, 12/77; Kagin's
10/77; B&R 2/77; ANA 1976; Superior 10/74; ANA
1974; Stack's 5/73; Superior 12/72; Kreisberg/Cohen
6/68; Shuford 1968; Stack's 5/68; Kreisberg9/67,4/67;
Paramount 11/66; Kreisberg 10/66; Stack's 10/66,6/66;
Kosoff 10/65; Stack's 3/65, 2/65; Paramount 2/65;
Golden 1963; Wolfson 1962; Golden 1962; Cicero 1960;
ANA 1959; Melish 1956; Baldenhofer 1955; Farouk 1954;
Flanagan 1944; Dunham 1941
Comments: Although scarce, particularly in mint state,
the 1856-S Double Eagle is one of the commonest Type
I Double Eagles from the San Francisco Mint. It appeared
at auction in the 443 catalogues surveyed more times
than any other except the 1865-S, and it was also
offered in Unc. more times than any of the rest. These
auction data coincide with my own personal experience
and I would rate the 1856-S as the most likely Type
1 S-Mint Double Eagle to be available in full mint
state. Many of the uncs are the "saltwater"
variety with subdued lustre and slightly granular
surfaces but I have also seen a small number of very
nice original uncs including several that were gem
quality. (One should not get the impression from these
comments, however, that an Unc. 1856-S is not rare
because it most certainly is. It is just not quite
as rare as the other early S-Mint issues.) 1 have
never seen a prooflike 1856-S; all of them were frosty.
1856
HISTORICAL HIGHTLIGHTS
Oregon Territory,
Feb. 22. Indians kill father and sons while
holding mother and daughter captive: Geisel Family
Massacre enrages settlers California, Feb. 22. First railroad
in slate links Sacramento and Folsom. Boston, March 26. Operation of first
steam trains in New England begins. United States, Apr. 1. Western Union
Telegraph formed to handle Western telegraphic communication. Texas. Apr. 29. First camels purchased
by U.S. Army for experimental duly in Texas arrive
(--June 16, IS57). San Francisco, May 15. Politician
James Casey lynched after murdering James King, crusading
reformist editor. Kansas Territory. May 21. Lawrence
looted and sacked by pro-slavery forces; one man killed
(-Aug. 30). Bloomington, Illinois, May 29. In
a speech. Abraham Lincoln says. "You can fool
some of the people all of the time, and all of the
people some of the lime, hut you can't fool all of
the people all of the time." Boston, May. Emulating large European
music festivals, first American festival consists
of a chorus of 600 and an orchestra of 78. Cincinnati, June 6. Democrats end
week-long national convention, nominating James Buchanan
for president and John C. Breckinridgc for vice president
(~*Nov. 4) Illinois. Sept. 21. Illinois Central
Railroad completed between Chicago and Cairo: longest
in country with 700 miles of track. Chicago. Railroad companies employ
telegraph to aid engineers and operators. Terre Haute. Indiana. T.T. Woodruff
patents three-tiered berth railroad car; Andrew Carnegie
is principal investor. Richmond, Virginia. Editorial in
Examiner is first to warn that fundamental social
and economic differences between North and South may
lead to civil conflict. New York City. Freeman Hunt, author
of Wealth ami Wurth, predicts that business will become
a form of culture.
