The 1887-S Liberty Head $5 gold piece continued a string of years of high gold coin production at the West Coast mint in San Francisco. This was in response to strong demand from the western public for precious metal coinage - which was greatly preferred over paper money for commercial use. Over 1.9 million $5 gold pieces were minted in San Francisco in 1887, and enough coins exist today that the 1887-S is attractively priced in all grades.