1870-S Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 3,000 made
- Mintage
- 3,000
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 1.672 g
- Diameter
- 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3)
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is an 1870-S Gold Dollar worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1870-S sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- A die variety or minting error
- Certification by PCGS or NGC, which buyers expect for scarce dates
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
Quick answers
- Is the 1870-S Gold Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 3,000 were made, 7th lowest of the 75 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1870-S Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1870 Gold Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. A "D" on a coin dated 1861 or earlier means Dahlonega, Georgia. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- How many 1870-S Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 3,000.
What to check on your 1870-S
- Make sure the mint mark really is an S. A worn or filled mark can be misread. It's what separates your coin from the 1870 (6,300 made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1870 Gold Dollar Proof (35 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the hair above the eye and the bow of the wreath. Many gold dollars were made into jewelry, so check for solder marks or removed loops.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1870-S weighs 1.672 g. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer. Low-mintage dates attract altered and counterfeit coins. Check that the mint mark and date have not been tooled or added, or buy one already certified by PCGS or NGC.
The story of the 1870-S
San Francisco hadn't struck the Gold Dollar since 1860. When it came back in 1870, it made 3,000. It turned out to be San Francisco's last Gold Dollar for circulation.
1870 came to 6,300, so neither mint's 1870 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1878 (3,000) and the 1879 (3,000).
Of the 7 Gold Dollars San Francisco struck between 1854 and 1870, this is the scarcest. Among the 1870s issues, only the 1875 had a smaller run.
Wartime suspension and tiny mintages (1862 to 1879)
Banks stopped paying out gold at the end of 1861 and gold coins disappeared from eastern circulation. After a large 1862 mintage of 1,361,355, Philadelphia struck only a few thousand gold dollars a year through most of the 1860s and 1870s. Gold remained at a premium over paper money until specie payments resumed at the start of 1879.
Exceptions were 1873 and 1874, when production rose to 125,100 and 198,800. The 1873 comes with closed 3 and open 3 dates. The 1875, with only 400 business strikes and 20 proofs, is the lowest mintage of the type. The 1870-S, 3,000 struck, is the only San Francisco gold dollar of the period. Survivors from these years are scarce in any grade.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1870
The Carson City Mint in Nevada began striking coins in 1870, using silver from the Comstock Lode. Its "CC" mint mark is now among the most sought after.
How to recognize it
The smallest US coin ever struck came in three types. Type 1 (1849 to 1854) shows a tiny Liberty head and measures only 13 mm. Type 2 (1854 to 1856) is larger and thinner, with Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Type 3 (1856 to 1889) enlarges the portrait. Every type has a wreath on the reverse around 1 DOLLAR and the date.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Gold Dollar (1849–1889) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1870 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,000 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 1.672 grams |
| Diameter | 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Other 1870 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1870 Gold Dollar | 6,300 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1870 Gold Dollar Proof | 35 | Proof | – |
| 1870-S Gold Dollar | 3,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Gold dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.