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A PCGS MS69 Morgan Dollar Showcase

By Jaime Hernandez for PCGS ……
Morgan Dollar, 1881-S $1, PCGS MS69. Images courtesy PCGS

Morgan Dollar, 1881-S $1, PCGS MS69. Image courtesy PCGS

Morgan dollars are undoubtedly among the most popular coins with collectors. However, the Morgan dollar series can also be one of the most challenging to collect. There are nearly 100 different regular-issue business strikes, and that doesn’t even count all the varieties, Proofs, and so on. Among these are several key dates, making it difficult for many collectors to complete a set. Some of the toughest dates are the 1885-CC, 1889-CC, and 1893-S Morgan dollars, and each one of these coins can cost several hundred to several thousand dollars – even in circulated condition.

Therefore, obtaining every single coin in the set is, for many collectors, financially impossible. Now, imagine trying to obtain the finest coin for every date and mint mark… It’s the numismatic challenge of challenges, but there are many collectors who have taken up this daunting feat.

If we look at the PCGS Set Registry, there are several thousand different Morgan dollar sets, with many containing among the finest examples in existence. Some of the top PCGS Registry Sets even include PCGS MS69 Morgan aollars. It’s mesmerizing to see these coins in MS69. Consider the 1880-S Morgan dollar; at PCGS, we have graded just five examples in MS69.

The first question that may come to mind is: How is an MS69 Morgan Dollar even possible? Did a Mint employee pull the coin straight out of the press, set it aside, and then preserve it for many years afterward? The answer is rather straightforward.

Many Morgan dollar issues saw huge percentages of their mintage never reach circulation, leaving a relatively larger pool of uncirculated issues for collectors to choose from today; this, in turn, creates a higher possibility of finding top-notch specimens.

Yet, even still, with hundreds of thousands of Morgan dollars extent in uncirculated condition, only a tiny handful approach the MS69 grade.

While condition survival for these and many other vintage coins is rare in the upper grades, preservation of these beautiful rarities also depends on the dedicated collectors who managed to save such specimens for us to enjoy generations later. It’s much the same that collectors stewarding coins today are preserving relics of the past in very high-grade condition for future generations to enjoy.

But the 1880-S Morgan dollar isn’t the only Morgan dollar we’ve graded MS69 at PCGS. There are also two 1881-S Morgan dollars that are graded PCGS MS69. And not to mention, there is a sole 1880-S Morgan dollar graded PCGS MS69PL.

If we look at images of a PCGS MS69 1881-S Morgan, you will see why this coin earned its MS69 grade. There aren’t any visible distractions. The surfaces are very clean and smooth, without any visible nicks or scratches. The luster is just impeccable. If we go to the reverse, the coin also appears very clean, free from hits or marks, and the luster is just spectacular. Both the obverse and the reverse are well struck offering incredible detail. Overall, it’s just a knockout of a coin!

Another point worth mentioning is that for the United States Mint to have struck coins with such quality more than 135 years ago speaks to the craftsmanship at the Mint all those years ago. Yet, many circulation strikes even today fail to come close to the quality of these PCGS MS69 Morgan dollars. Take, for example, the 2009-D Native American dollar, of which PCGS has graded fewer than 250 of in MS67 – none grade higher.

The same can be said for many other modern business-strike issues, so many of which yield few, if any, specimens approaching the strike, finish, and surfaces of these most elite Morgan dollars. So, the next time you see a Morgan dollar graded MS69, don’t just look at the coin itself, but also try visualizing the care behind which Mint employees handled these coins and the generations of collectors who have preserved these coins in almost perfect quality for us to enjoy today.

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5 COMMENTS

  1. I have 4 Morgan dollars. 1 is an 1878 CC with the mint mark misshapen. The first C is pointing upwards and the other C is closed making it look like an O and also its not centered from when it was struck. Also I have an 1881 O, 1883 O and 1921 with no mint mark. Im trying to find information on how to get them graded and also find the worth of each coin so I can sell them if its worth it. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. Also I have other Morgan coins and Barbers.

  2. Presumably you are a different David Hall than the one who founded PCGS. I recommend learning grading and looking at PCGS or NGC price guides online to determine if your coins are worth getting graded. My threshold is typically a value of $100 or higher, but I do get some lower value coins graded just to complete sets. (Grading will cost you $15-40 typically depending on what you submit, who you submit to, and how.) Alternately, take them to your local coin dealer and get his/her opinion on the grade and use that with a price guide to decide if you want to send them in. If you go this route you should submit through the dealer to compensate him/her for the time spent looking at your coins. Also, I would measure, weigh, and do a magnet/slide test on the silver coins to try to authenticate before potentially wasting your time and money sending in a counterfeit. Of the Morgans you list I suspect only the 1878 CC would be worth getting graded unless the others are MS65+.

  3. These days a silver dollar needs to grade gem ms65 especially if they are common dates in order for you to come out ahead in the expense of a third party grading. The exception is a keydate or semi key date if not badly worn the rules don’t apply to the 1893s or 1894 and 1895o I’d gamble and get those graded. There are a few more dates worth certifing as well

  4. Unfortunately there are even fewer and fewer dealers these days that are competent in accurate grading, especially high end mint state coins by numeric grade. Learn your series of choice, study, do lots of hands comparison, and specialize. Your skills will be well rewarded.

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