Owner Comments:
The year, 1854, marked the opening of the San Francisco location as an official U.S. mint. Before that it had been the location for Curtis, Perry & Ward which had operated the private minting operation of Moffat & Co. That firm had been under contract to the U.S. Treasury as an official assay office of the U.S. Government.
Working conditions at this newly appointed mint were awful. The workspace was small, cramped and poorly ventilated with fumes from acid and other chemicals hanging in the air. Some employees were made ill as a result. Change would be slow, however. More than ten years later the San Francisco mint would move to a new mint which would be come known as the “Granite Lady.” This building is now the site of a museum, and now, from what I’ve read, a coin show.
This gold dollar is the least expensive way to own a high grade link that original facility. The 1854 S mint $2.50 and $5.00 gold coins are rare and very expensive, and the $10.00 and $20.00 coins are very scarce in AU and above. So this little coin provides an interesting link to the beginnings of a mint mark that has grabbed the attention of collectors for many years.
This piece is an NGC MS-62. It is a full Mint State piece with a sharp strike and lots of luster. It has a few tick marks that account for the less than Choice Mint State grade.