The 1878-S used to be very similar in rarity to the 1878-P double eagle in lower grades but, since the publication of the first edition of this book in 2000, enough examples of the latter have been found that it is now the more available of the two. The 1878-S remains scarce and underappreciated in higher grades.

Expert’s Corner: 1878-CC Double Eagle

As with all of the pre-1884 San Francisco Type Three dates, the 1878-S is a tough issue above MS61. While easier to locate now than it was a few years ago, I like this date quite a bit, especially in MS62 and above. Always look for an example with natural color and fewer-than-normal marks.

Of the three double eagles issued in 1878, the 1878-S appears to be the least well struck. Most are weak to some degree on the hair of Liberty and at the centers of the stars on the obverse. The reverse is nearly always less detailed than the obverse, and on some, there is a noticeable loss of detail on the lettering at the border. 

1878-S Double Eagle Characteristics, Luster, and Eye Appeal

The surfaces on nearly all known 1878-S double eagles are very heavily abraded. Any 1878-S that has clean surfaces is rare and very desirable. The luster ranges from average to below-average. This is primarily due to the fact that the typical specimen is so abraded that the luster is impaired. The coloration on original, uncleaned specimens is most often rose-gold and greenish-gold. This is a very hard date to find with good eye appeal due to the problems with strike and luster described above.