The Morgan dollar is a silver dollar coin that was minted in the United States from 1878 to 1904, and then again for one more year in 1921. The coin was designed by George T. Morgan, a British engraver who was hired by the United States Mint to create a new design for the dollar coin.
The Morgan dollar was introduced in 1878 to replace the Seated Liberty dollar, which had been in production since the 1840s. The design of the Morgan dollar features the head of Lady Liberty on the obverse, with a wreath of wheat, cotton, and other agricultural products on the reverse. The coin also features an eagle with outstretched wings, clutching arrows and an olive branch in its talons.
The coin is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper, with a total weight of 26.73 grams (0.942 oz) and a diameter of 38.1 mm (1.5 in).
The actual silver weight (ASW) of the Morgan Silver Dollar is 0.77344 troy ounces (24.057 grams). This means that the coin contains approximately 0.77344 troy ounces of pure silver. The ASW is calculated by multiplying the total weight of the coin by its silver content, which in the case of the Morgan Silver Dollar is 90%.
The Morgan dollar was initially unpopular with the public due to its large size and weight, as well as its design, which was seen as too “busy” by some critics. However, the coin eventually gained popularity, particularly in the western United States, where it was used in commerce and became associated with the romanticized image of the American West. When discussing the American West, we must mention the famous Carson City mint in Nevada with its highly desired CC mint mark.
Carson City produced Morgan silver dollars:
Carson City was known for producing Morgan silver dollars with distinctive mint marks, which can be found on the reverse (tail) side of the coin, just below the eagle’s tail feathers. The mint mark “CC” indicates that the coin was struck at the Carson City Mint. Carson City Morgans are highly sought after by collectors and can command a premium over other Morgan silver dollars.
The production of the Morgan dollar was interrupted in 1904, when the mint stopped producing silver dollars due to a shortage of silver bullion. The coin was briefly produced again in 1921 in response to the Pittman Act, which required the mint to strike millions of silver dollars to replace silver bullion that had been melted down for use in World War I.
In 2021, the United States Mint released a new commemorative version of the Morgan silver dollar to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the last year of the original Morgan silver dollar’s production. This very popular release sold out in minutes and sold for very high premiums in the aftermarket.
In a complete Morgan dollar ser for all dates & mint marks there are 95 coins, not including the 1895 as no business strikes were ever made/found of that year or the 2021 modern coins.
Today, the Morgan dollar is a very popular collectible item, particularly among coin enthusiasts and investors. Many rare and valuable examples of the coin exist, including those with unusual mint marks or errors in the strike, and high-grade examples that have been well-preserved over the years.
The Morgan dollar remains the top US coin collected today. It’s large size once considered a detriment is one of the reason people love the Morgan Dollar. It represents a big, beautiful collectable silver coin.
Even in poor shape its more valuable that its weight in silver.