Nov 1st, 2023 · 4 min read
The most valuable Morgan silver dollars are the following:
Originally minted from 1878 to 1904 and again in 1921, the Morgan silver dollar coins are regularly sought after by coin collectors.
In 2021 an 1893 Morgan silver dollar struck at the San Francisco mint sold for over $2 million, making it the highest selling Morgan silver dollar ever.
In this article, we break down everything you need to know about the most valuable morgan silver dollars.
Below is the list of the most valuable Morgan dollars, starting with the most valuable, and our breakdown on the reasons for their value.
All prices are in USD according to Numismatic Guaranty Companyâs Price Guide.
Letâs get to it!
The 1893-S is the single rarest Morgan Dollar made for circulation. The finest known examples have sold for over $1,000,000! Be careful of fakes as they are plentiful!
Many of the 1893 Morgan dollars from San Francisco still exist today in most conditions. However, mint conditions of these coins are one of the rarest Morgan dollars to come across, and are worth a very high price.
Year: 1893
Mint Location: San Francisco
Mintage: 100,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
While common in low grades, the 1884-S Morgan Dollar is a very rare coin in Uncirculated condition. If you have a piece graded PCGS Mint State 65 it could be worth a price more than $100,000!
At San Francisco, in 1884, this Morgan silver dollar was produced with a high mintage for circulation. As a result, this coin in uncirculated condition is highly sought after, selling for over one million dollars.
Year: 1884
Mint Location: San Francisco
Mintage: 3,200,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
The 1889-CC Morgan Silver dollar is the #1 rarity from this mint in the Carson City series and a five-figure coin in Choice Uncirculated Condition.
Resuming operations in late 1889, after being closed for four years, the Carson City mint made 100,000 silver Morgan dollars in October and November and then 150,000 in December.
Most of these coins have been melted down, making 1889 another of the rarest years to find uncirculated from the Carson City mint.
Year: 1889
Mint Location: Carson City
Mintage: 350,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
1895 was a year with several different Morgan dollars minted, including the 1895-O, from the New Orleans Mint and the 1895-S from San Francisco.
All silver dollars made in 1895 are worth good money, especially in high grades. Coinfully is a strong buyer of both the 1895-O and 1895-S silver dollars.
Both of these coins are worth anywhere from $150 to $700,000 according to the Numismatic Guaranty Company. These coins are rare in an uncirculated condition. Many of the 1895-S Morgan dollars ended up in Las Vegas casinos during the 1940s and â50s.
Year: 1895
Mint Location: New Orleans or San Francisco
Mintage: 450,000 and 400,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
The 1895 is known as âThe King of Morgan Dollarsâ and for good reason.
Just 880 of these coins were minted, the lowest mintage of any Morgan dollar. All of them were proofs. It is believed that any business coins from the Philadelphia mint in 1895 never left the factory and were melted down.
Even an impaired 1895 Proof will net you around $20,000 and if you own a really nice one, expect us to offer you $50,000 or more!
Year: 1895
Mint Location: Philadelphia
Mintage: 880
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
The 1893-CC Morgan dollar was the final issued coin for CC Morgan silver dollars as the Carson City mint was closed down later the same year. This coin is sometimes found with a weak strike, evident by flat-looking hair on one side and flat-looking feathers on the other.
Year: 1893
Mint Location: Carson City
Mintage: 677,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
The 1885-CC Morgan Silver Dollar of the most valuable Morgans from the Carson City Mint but not worth a significant amount more in high grades than in very low grades since a lot of large hoards of these pieces exist.
This was the last year the Carson City mint produced coins until 1889. 228,000 of these coins were minted with few being released into circulation. Meaning that finding these coins in good condition is not as hard as others.
Year: 1885
Mint Location: Carson City
Mintage: 228,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
The 1894 Morgan silver dollar is a good date in nearly any grade with values ranging from around $1,000 for a heavily worn example to over $50,000 for a superb piece.
Philadelphia only minted 110,000 Morgan dollars in 1894. Significantly less than the 1.8 million Morgan dollars minted the year before. The drop in mintage adds to the price of these coins.
Year: 1894
Mint Location: Philadelphia
Mintage: 110,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
Most people are unaware of the value of this issue but high quality 1903-S silver dollars are rare and if you own the right coin, it could net you $25,000, $50,000 or even more.
This Morgan dollar often has a strong strick with handsome surfaces. Minted in San Francisco, this coin is hard to find in any condition except the lowest grades.
But if you do happen to have a high-grade 1903-S Morgan silver dollar, it could be worth a fair amount of money.
Year: 1903
Mint Location: San Francisco
Mintage: A little more than 1.2 million
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
A scarce issue in all grades; usually seen with considerable wear. Worth anywhere from $200-300+ for one with extensive wear to over $10,000 for a high quality Uncirculated specimen.
The survival rate of the 1879 CC mint Morgan dollars was not very high at all. The mint mark of this coin is either found rusted or un-rusted. One without the mint mark rusted is about twice as common as one rusted.
Year: 1879
Mint Location: Carson City
Mintage: 756,000
Price Based on Condition:
Image Credit: Professional Coin Grading Service
Mint marks tell which branch mint a Morgan silver dollar was produced at. The letters below indicate which mint a coin came from:
The Morgan dollar mint mark location is on the tail side of the coin underneath the arrows and olive branch.
Morgan dollar value can be determined by where they were minted. Some years whose mints produced low quantities or now only exist in lower qualities have become worth more.
Your Morgan silver dollar has value based on how collectable it is.
More than 100 years old and having over 270 million Morgan silver dollars melted down in 1918, Morgan silver dollars can be scarce.
Then, in 1921 the Peace Dollar replaced the Morgan silver dollar to celebrate the end of the first World War.
Understanding the key aspects of coin appraisal is crucial for collectors looking to assess the value of these historic pieces. Morgan silver dollar prices can be high depending on mint, year, and condition.
While most Morgan silver dollars do not go for that much, all go for more than their face value. For those who inherit in determining the value of your coin collection, Morgan dollars present a fascinating opportunity for valuation.
Where and when the Morgan dollars were struck adds to their value. In 1918 over 270 million Morgan silver dollars were melted down meaning there were few surviving key dates from each mint.
Because of their age not all Mogan dollars are pristine, so condition of the coin has a lot to do with its value.
Another reason for their value is beacuse Morgan silver dollars have no less than 90% silver content. The other 10% being copper.
To honor of the 100th anniversary of the silver coin, in 2021 the United States mint produced 400,000 Morgan dollars. They sold out in 45 minutes.
In 2022 the United States Mint decided to continue minting Morgan silver dollars past the anniversary. But, minting for 2022 was canceled with the rising prices of the precious metal.
In 2023 the coins were minted and sold out within the first day.
2021 Morgan silver dollars are currently being listed from anywhere between $163 and $1090. This highlights the importance of managing and selling your inherited coin collection wisely to maximize value.
Morgan silver dollars since 2021 have been made with 99.9% fine silver.
Just because you do not have one of the previously listed Morgan silver dollar doesnât mean yours is worth face value. For example, dimes with significant historical value can also fetch a high price on the market.
Look out for these years in any Morgan dollar you own and consider getting a professional coin appraisal
Morgan dollars are the most collected US minted coin of all time and a Morgan silver dollar mint collection can be worth a substantial amount.
Having been minted for 27 years before being brought back in 2021, these coins have been around for over a hundred years. While all are not worth $2 million dollars, they are all worth something. Their precise value varies based on year, mint, and condition.
If you’re exploring where to sell coins online effectively or seeking options for selling gold coins online, partnering with a trusted coin dealer can provide valuable guidance.
Additionally, understanding the worth of a silver half dollar can give insight into the broader market for silver coins.
If you have any Morgan dollar and are unsure of their price, reach out to us at Coinfully for a free appraisal.
Douglas Winter Chief Numismatic Advisor at Coinfully & President of Douglas Winter Numismatics. A famed rare coin expert and author, Douglas contributes to the Coinfully Blog and publishes educational articles to offer expertise as a leading numismatist in the field.
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