1856-S Gold Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the San Francisco Mint · 24,600 made
- Mintage
- 24,600
- Metal
- 90% gold, 10% copper
- Weight
- 1.672 g
- Diameter
- 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3)
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 an 1856-S Gold Dollar worth?
Few coins in the series are harder to find. Even a worn 1856-S sells well above face value. The flip side is that counterfeits and altered dates are common, so authentication matters.
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 1856-S Gold Dollar rare?
- Yes. Only 24,600 were made, 51st lowest of the 75 regular issues in the series.
- Is the 1856-S Gold Dollar real gold?
- No, it's gold: 0.0484 troy ounces of pure gold.
- Where is the mint mark on an 1856 Gold Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the wreath. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark. A "D" on a coin dated 1861 or earlier means Dahlonega, Georgia. On this coin the mark is S, for San Francisco.
- Which San Francisco dates near 1856 are scarcer?
- The 1857-S at 10,000, the 1858-S at 10,000, the 1860-S at 13,000, plus 2 more. So the 1856-S is one of the easier dates of its stretch.
- How many 1856-S Gold Dollar coins were made?
- 24,600.
What to check on your 1856-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 1856-D (1,460 made).
- Check the date and mint mark under magnification for tooling or added letters. Scarce dates are the ones forgers alter.
- Proof or circulation strike? A proof has mirror-like fields and frosted design details and was sold to collectors, not released in change. The 1856 Gold Dollar Proof (10 made) is the one to compare with.
- Old coins pick up damage over a long life. Look for holes, bends, scratches or signs of cleaning before you judge the grade, because a damaged coin sells for a fraction of a problem-free one.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the hair above the eye and the bow of the wreath. Many gold dollars were made into jewelry, so check for solder marks or removed loops.
Gold coins are counterfeited more than any other US coins. A genuine 1856-S weighs 1.672 g. 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 1856-S
San Francisco hadn't struck the Gold Dollar since 1854. When it came back in 1856, it made 24,600. The next year it made 10,000 (1857-S).
The other mints made far more that year: 1856 alone came to 1.8 million, roughly 72 for every 1856-S. If you're checking a pile of 1856 coins, the S is the one to look for. In the whole series, its mintage sits closest to the 1849-D (21,588) and the 1889 (28,950).
Of the 7 Gold Dollars San Francisco struck between 1854 and 1870, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest San Francisco issue is the 1870-S at 3,000. Within the 1850s it's 22nd smallest of 38, between the 1859-S (15,000) and the 1851-C (41,267).
Type 1 ends and the Indian Princess (1854 to 1856)
In 1854 the gold dollar was made thinner and wider, about 15 mm, to make it easier to handle. Longacre's Type 2 design shows Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Type 1 coins were still struck early in 1854 at Philadelphia and Dahlonega. San Francisco struck its first gold dollars that year, all of the Type 1 design.
Type 2 dollars struck poorly because the high relief of the headdress sat opposite the date. The central digits of the date are often weak. The type was made only in 1854 and 1855 plus the 1856-S. The 1855-C, 1855-D and 1855-O are prized branch mint issues, with the 1855-D the rarest at 1,811 struck. In 1856 Philadelphia switched to the larger head Type 3, which comes with slanted and upright 5 dates.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1856
The Mint made pattern Flying Eagle cents dated 1856 to test a smaller copper-nickel cent. They were given to members of Congress and collectors, which helped launch coin collecting in the United States.
How to recognize it
The smallest US coin ever struck came in three types. Type 1 (1849 to 1854) shows a tiny Liberty head and measures only 13 mm. Type 2 (1854 to 1856) is larger and thinner, with Liberty wearing a feathered headdress. Type 3 (1856 to 1889) enlarges the portrait. Every type has a wreath on the reverse around 1 DOLLAR and the date.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Gold Dollar (1849–1889) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1856 |
| Mint | San Francisco Mint |
| Mint mark | "S" |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 24,600 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | 90% gold, 10% copper |
| Weight | 1.672 grams |
| Diameter | 13 mm (Type 1); 15 mm (Types 2 and 3) |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
Other 1856 Gold Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1856 Gold Dollar | 1,762,936 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1856 Gold Dollar Proof | 10 | Proof | – |
| 1856-S Gold Dollar | 24,600 | Circulation strike | – |
| 1856-D Gold Dollar | 1,460 | Circulation strike | – |
Mintage: Gold dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.