The 1879 is a popular year with double eagle date collectors as it is the only Type Three issue in which four mints struck coins. The 1879-S Double Eagle has the highest mint age figure of these four but it is scarcer than most people believe.

Expert’s Corner: 1879-S Double Eagle

The 1879-S Double Eagle is the rarest Type Three San Francisco double eagle and it is an issue that I really like in any uncirculated grade. I have not handled many that grade MS62 and better and when I do have them in my inventory, they sell very quickly. I give this date my strongest recommendation.

As with many of the San Francisco double eagles from this era, the 1879-S Double Eagle is often found with some weakness of strike on the top of Liberty’s head and on the bun. Some of the radial lines in the obverse stars are weak as well. The reverse most often shows weakness on the eagle’s right wing.

1879-S Double Eagle: A Rare Prize with Clean Surfaces

The 1879-S Double Eagle is nearly always seen with very heavily abraded surfaces and, for some reason, the left obverse field, more often than not, shows more marks than any other location. The luster is good, and many higher grade pieces have a vivid, frosty texture. The coloration on uncleaned coins is most often a rose-gold or green-gold hue. This is a very hard issue to find with good eye appeal due to the fact that most surviving examples are very heavily abraded. An 1879-S Double Eagle with clean surfaces and good eye appeal is really rare, and it commands a strong premium among knowledgeable collectors.