Biding is live on Greatcollections.com for a stunning proof-like 1882-S Morgan dollar. Graded as MS 67+ by PCGS and having earned a Green CAC sticker, this coin would make a fine addition to any group of Morgan dollars. Collectors should be aware of the opportunity to bid on this top pop coin, especially since it has been five years since another example came to the auction block. Bidding on this spectacular coin ends Sunday, September 25, 2022, at 6:21:45 PM Pacific Time (9:21 PM Eastern).
At the time of publication, the highest of 35 bids stands at $2,600 USD.
The 1882 issuance of 9,250,000 pieces was the fourth-largest by the San Francisco Mint until the 1921 series renewal. Since production far outstripped demand, many of these coins were stored for decades by the US Treasury in large canvas bags in various vaults. As such, there are a good number of surviving proof-like examples. PCGS reports 2,467 and NGC reports 2,403 in all grades. There are, however, only seven graded as MS 67+ PL, and one graded higher (an MS 68).
With a narrow ring of rainbow toning around the edges that does not divert attention from the frosty devices, this particular coin is quite beautiful. Even though there are several bag marks on liberty’s neck and to the left of the eagle’s head, they do not distract from the overall eye appeal of the coin. The last time a Morgan dollar graded MS 67+ PL sold in 2017, it hammered for $8,225.
Design
The central bust of Liberty wears a Phrygian cap encircled with a ribbon adorned with the inscription LIBERTY. Miss Liberty also wears a crown of wheat and cotton, which were two of the nation’s most lucrative agricultural assets in the 19th century.
The phrase E PLURIBUS UNUM is inscribed along the upper half of the obverse rim, and the date 1882 is centered at the bottom of the obverse adjacent to the rim. Seven stars appear between the left side of the date and the inscription E PLURIBUS UNUM, while six stars fill the gap between the date and motto on the lower right side of the coin. In total, the 13 stars symbolize the 13 colonies that combined to form the original Union of the United States. At the base of Liberty’s neck is the “M” monogram representing designer George T. Morgan’s initial.
Morgan designed the Liberty head bust after the likeness of Anna Willess Williams, a Philadelphia schoolteacher who modeled for the coin. Williams received significant public recognition after her face appeared on the Morgan dollar, but she rejected the attention, refusing offers for acting roles and apparently turning down an offer of marriage following her engagement to an unknown suitor. Before dying at the age of 68 in 1926, Williams, who sat for Morgan on the sworn condition of anonymity, rebuffed her single stint as a coin design model as little more than an “incident of my youth.”
The reverse is dominated by a heraldic eagle, its wings spread across the upper half of the coin. Between the upper tips of the eagle’s wings appears the motto IN GOD WE TRUST. The eagle clutches an olive branch in its right claw representing peace and in its left claw are three arrows symbolizing the nation’s ability to defend itself. The central eagle design is partly encircled by a laurel wreath.
Along the rim of the upper two-thirds of the reverse is the legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. The words ONE DOLLAR are seen at the bottom center of the reverse. The “S” mint mark for San Francisco is found beneath the wreath’s bow.
The edge of the 1882-S Morgan dollar is reeded.
Bidding for the coin ends on Sunday, September 25, 2022, at 6:21 PM Pacific Time (9:21 PM Eastern).
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