The Philadelphia Mint struck 577,670 circulation strike double eagles in 1860, of which approximately 2,000 to 3,000 coins are thought to survive. The vast majority are circulated and concentrated in the VF to AU range. Prior to the recovery of the S.S. Republic shipwreck, numismatic scholars accounted for only 40 to 60 Mint State examples. That shipwreck treasure contributed 82 additional examples to the extant population, 43 of which are Mint State. To the best of our knowledge, the S.S. Republic find represents the only hoard of 1860 double eagles to have entered the numismatic market.

With an estimated population of no more than 100 or so coins, the 1860 remains rare in Mint State. Most such pieces are in lower grades, MS-60 to MS-62, and even a solidly graded Choice example is an important condition rarity.

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in August 2016 as part of the Rarities Night Auction, where it realized $141,000. It is pedigreed to the Bull Run Collection and the Louis E. Eliasberg, Sr Collection.