1912-S Indian Head Eagle
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 300,000 made
- Mintage
- 300,000
- 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 1912-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 1912-S Indian Head Eagle rare?
- Yes. Only 300,000 were made, 18th lowest of the 31 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1912-S Indian Head Eagle real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.4837 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1912 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 1912 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 1912-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1912-S Indian Head Eagle coins were made?
- 300,000.
What to check on your 1912-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 1912 (405,000 made).
- Count the stars on the edge. From 1912 the edge carries 48 raised stars, after New Mexico and Arizona joined the Union. Counterfeiters have sometimes got the count or the spacing wrong.
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- 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 1912-S weighs 16.718 g and measures 27 mm. 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 1912-S
San Francisco ramped up hard in 1912: 300,000 coins, about 5.9 times the 1911 run. In 1913 the figure was 66,000.
1912 came to 405,000, so neither mint's 1912 coin is much scarcer than the other. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1909-S (292,350) and the 1933 (312,500).
Across San Francisco's 11 Indian Head Eagle issues, the hardest to find is the 1911-S with 51,000 made. The 1912-S is one of the easier ones. Within the 1910s it's 8th smallest of 16, between the 1914-S (208,000) and the 1910 (318,500).
More on the 1912-S
San Francisco struck 300,000 eagles in 1912, about three quarters of Philadelphia's 405,000. It was the only branch mint to strike the coin that year. The figure was nearly six times San Francisco's 51,000 of 1911, so the branch was clearly back in steady production. Denver struck no eagles in 1912.
The 1912-S is scarce in uncirculated condition, with many survivors showing the softness and heavy marks typical of San Francisco gold of the period. It's the first San Francisco eagle with 48 edge stars, so it pairs naturally with the 1911-S, the last with 46. Circulated examples are available and carry a collector premium above their gold value. A lustrous, well struck uncirculated coin is a much bigger find. Look for the S to the left of the arrowheads, then check the headdress feathers for strike detail before you judge the grade. Coins that have been cleaned look unnaturally bright and lose much of their premium.
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.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1912
Denver and San Francisco struck nickels for the first time, the only branch-mint Liberty Head nickels. It was the last regular year of the design.
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 | 1912 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 300,000 |
| 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 1912 Indian Head Eagle issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 Indian Head Eagle | 405,000 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1912-S Indian Head Eagle | 300,000 | 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.