1916-S $10 AU58 Certification #36662772, PCGS #8880

CAC. Totally original with great color.

David Akers (1975/88)

The large majority of 1916-S eagles come from two small hoards that were dispersed in the mid to late 1970s, and most of them have a very similar "look." They are sharply struck, rather lacklustre by this series' high standards, and are frosty with a trace of granularity to the surfaces. They usually have a light to medium rose and greenish gold toning. Other specimens, not from the hoards, are also very well struck but usually have very good to excellent lustre and great color than can vary from rich greenish gold to medium orange with a greenish gold tint. Many examples of this issue have a weak 1 and the front curve of the 9 in the date.

Because of thee two hoards, which probably numbered about 100-125 pieces total, the 1916-S is the most common Indian Head eagle from the San Francisco Mint. Most of the coins in the hoards were in the MS-60 to MS-63 grades, but there were a very small number of higher grade ones as well. There are some really superb examples of this issue in existence. The satiny Garrett coin was virtually perfect and brought an astounding $5,250 in 1976 and the Norweb specimen graded at least MS65+, if not full MS-67. Kruthoffer's coin was also superb, and his duplicate now owned by Dr. Thaine Price is very nearly so. Dr. Steven Duckor also owns a piece that is distinctly better than MS-65, as do I, and there are several others.