1910-S Indian Head Eagle
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 811,000 made
- Mintage
- 811,000
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 16.718 g
- Diameter
- 27 mm
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 a 1910-S Indian Head Eagle worth?
It's scarcer than a typical date, so even circulated examples sell above face and above their metal value. The best uncirculated coins are where the money is.
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 1910-S Indian Head Eagle rare?
- Somewhat. 811,000 were made, fewer than most dates, so collectors treat it as a semi-key.
- Is the 1910-S Indian Head Eagle real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.4837 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1910 Indian Head Eagle?
- On the reverse, to the left of the arrow points. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1910 are scarcer?
- The 1911-S at 51,000, the 1915-S at 59,000, the 1908-S at 59,850, plus 4 more. So the 1910-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1910-S Indian Head Eagle coins were made?
- 811,000.
What to check on your 1910-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 1910 (318,500 made).
- Count the stars on the edge. Eagles dated 1907 to 1911 have 46 raised stars, one for each state at the time. A coin with this date and 48 stars is not genuine.
- Judge the grade under good light. Check the feathers above Liberty's eye and the eagle's wing. Gold is soft, so bag marks on the cheek strongly affect the grade.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1910-S weighs 16.718 g and measures 27 mm. Buy certified examples from a reputable dealer.
The story of the 1910-S
San Francisco made 811,000 in 1910, up from 292,350 in 1909. In 1911 the figure was 51,000.
1910 came to 318,500 and 1910-D came to 2.4 million, so neither mint's 1910 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1908-D (With Motto) (836,500) and the 1926 (1,014,000).
Of the 11 Indian Head Eagles San Francisco struck between 1908 and 1930, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest San Francisco issue is the 1911-S at 51,000. Within the 1910s it's 15th smallest of 16, between the 1911 (505,500) and the 1910-D (2.4 million).
More on the 1910-S
San Francisco struck 811,000 eagles in 1910, its largest Indian Head eagle total between 1909 and 1916, but still only about a third of Denver's run that year. It was nearly three times San Francisco's 292,350 of 1909. Philadelphia struck just 318,500 that year, so the S is more than two and a half times as plentiful on paper.
The mintage is generous; nice examples are not. The 1910-S is known for weak strikes and dull, scuffed surfaces, so uncirculated coins are scarce and gems are rare. That makes it a classic condition rarity: easy to own in Very Fine or Extremely Fine, hard to find with full luster and a sharp strike. Check the S to the left of the arrowheads, then the feathers of the headdress and the eagle's wing for detail. A worn 1910-S sits at gold value plus a modest collector premium. A well struck uncirculated example carries a strong collector premium. If yours looks bright and sharp, it's worth having a grading service confirm it.
Steady issues and the 1911-D key (1909 to 1916)
With the motto in place, eagles were struck in most years at Philadelphia, Denver and San Francisco. The 1911-D, only 30,100, is the key of the period. The 1911-S, 1913-S and 1915-S are scarce, especially well struck. Denver struck 2,356,640 in 1910, the largest branch mint total of these years.
In 1912 two more stars were added to the edge for New Mexico and Arizona, raising the count from 46 to 48. Mint marks sit on the reverse to the left of the arrowheads. Large gold coins like these picked up bag marks easily, so the cheek and the field in front of the face are the places to check. The 1916-S closed the period before World War I halted production.
How to recognize it
Augustus Saint-Gaudens' $10 gold piece shows Liberty in a feathered headdress inscribed LIBERTY, with 13 stars above and the date below. The reverse shows a standing eagle on a bundle of arrows with an olive branch. The edge has raised stars: 46 until 1911 and 48 from 1912. IN GOD WE TRUST was added to the reverse field in 1908. The mint mark is to the left of the arrows.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Indian Head Eagle (1907–1933) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1910 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 811,000 |
| Face value | $10 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 16.718 grams |
| Diameter | 27 mm |
| Edge | Raised stars (46, then 48 from 1912) |
| Designer | Augustus Saint-Gaudens |
Other 1910 Indian Head Eagle issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1910 Indian Head Eagle | 318,500 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1910-D Indian Head Eagle | 2,356,640 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1910-S Indian Head Eagle | 811,000 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Indian Head eagle (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.