Gorgeous 1896 Morgan Silver Dollar In AU Condition From The Famous Philadelphia Mint!
Morgan silver dollars are U.S. coins, which were minted from 1878 to 1904, with an additional minting in 1921. The reason for the stoppage in 1904 was that the supply of dollars in circulation was high, but there was an absence of silver bullion. The Pittman Act in 1918 called for over 270 million coins to be melted for their 90% silver content. After the last minting year of 1921, the Morgan Silver Dollar was replaced with the Peace Dollar commemorative that would become standard issue. These dazzling “cartwheels” got their name from George T. Morgan, their designer. Morgan’s initials appear near the lovely Lady Liberty’s neck on the obverse of the coin. Five United States Mints struck Morgan dollars, but the main mint in Philadelphia prepared the obverse and reverse dies.
The stunning 1896-P Morgan Silver Dollar shown here was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and is in Almost Uncirculated condition. You may see coins that were minted at Philadelphia referred to as 1896-P, for example, but in actuality, Morgans from this Mint have no mint mark. The total mintage for circulation for the Philadelphia Mint in 1896 was 9,976,000. It does boggle the mind that one Mint produced all those Morgans, but you must take into account that so many were melted down. Plus, you can’t ignore the fabulous condition of this Morgan dollar. This 1896 Morgan silver dollar has a brilliant luster and the detailing of Lady Liberty and the bald eagle on the reverse remains strong and well-defined. The rims of this silver dollar are still full. The age, quality and beauty of this 1896 Morgan silver dollar make it a worthwhile purchase and an asset to any collection!
Old Macdonald Had A Farm…And A Hoard Of Magnificent 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars In AU Condition!
Shockingly, Morgan silver dollars were not exactly welcomed with open arms, when they first came out in 1878. There were many people who thought that the eagle on the reverse of the coin was unattractive and referred to the Morgans as “Buzzard Dollars”. Because of its weight and large size, the coin was also called a “cartwheel”. Morgan silver dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904, with a revival in 1921, at five U.S. Mints: Philadelphia, San Francisco (1878-1904, 1921), Denver (1921), New Orleans (1879-1904) and Carson City (1878-1885, 1889-1893). The Philadelphia Mint produced Morgan dollars each issue year; however, there are no known circulation strikes for 1895, since all were believed to be melted down. In present day, the spectacular Morgan dollars are hugely popular worldwide.
The year was 1921 and the last year for production of the remarkable Morgan silver dollars, Warren Harding is President, the end of World War I was official and the United States’ economy was booming. The New Orleans Mint closed its doors in 1909 and was briefly used as a Coast Guard storage facility, an assay office and a fallout shelter. Today it operates as a museum. The need for the exquisite Morgan silver dollars in 1921 rose to such an extent that the government resumed their production, for less than a full year, with just a few minor alterations. Denver minted 20,345,000 Morgans, Philadelphia produced 44,690,000 and San Francisco struck 21,695,000 Morgan silver dollars.
Spectacularly Rainbow-Toned 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar In AU Condition!
Silver and Morgan silver dollars are words that work a bit of magic, if you will, on collectors and anyone who has had the pleasure of holding these large, glistening, ninety-percent silver coins in their hands. The Morgan Silver Dollar was minted in the U.S from 1878 – 1904, with an additional minting in 1921. The Philadelphia Mint, established in 1792, exemplifies the history of the United States. Thomas Jefferson, himself, hand-delivered the Mint’s very first coin to the Father of our Country, to obtain his stamp of approval. Since Philadelphia was the only mint in the U.S. until 1838, the coins struck there carry no identifying mint mark. In 1879, approximately fifteen million Morgan silver dollars were minted in Philadelphia.
Among numismatists, the toning of a coin is nearly as controversial as grading. Toned and un-toned coins, both, have their attractions. However, the attraction of a coin that is beautifully toned is undeniable. Toning is just another way of saying tarnishing. Toning on silver is a form of corrosion and is a slower process than it is on iron or bronze. As a whole, silver coins tone more beautifully than those composed of other metals. Silver sulfide is the typical toning on silver coins and the metal that coins are alloyed with also affects toning, particularly copper. Morgan silver dollars tone more beautifully than Peace Dollars because the latter planchets were given a more concentrated acid bath at the Mint.
Now let’s talk coin grading. The abbreviation “AU” stands for Almost Uncirculated. This means that there is a small trace of wear that is visible on the highest points of the coin. The impressive 1879 (P) Morgan Silver Dollar, being offered today, was struck at the Philadelphia Mint and is in Almost Uncirculated condition. You will notice that the gorgeous rainbow toning on this superb Morgan goes from a vivid blue to purple to gold. Who could resist such dazzling colors and such a notable year? This is the year that Albert Einstein was born and when Edison invented the first electric light bulb. This magnificent, rainbow-toned 1879 (P) Morgan Silver Dollar tells the history of pioneers, mountain men and prospectors who opened up the West and the brave families who settled the open prairies! Why not start your collection of Morgan silver dollars now?
Buy this unique 1879 Morgan silver dollar now
1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar Tribute Proof Clad – Get One For Your Collection
It is generally known among Morgan silver dollar collectors, that the San Francisco mint produced the highest quality strikes, as well as the best luster finishing of all of the US mints. Sadly, this mint closed in 1900, and it was rare indeed to find a Morgan dollar minted of that high quality luster and striking.
The old San Francisco mint had a very special minting technique that was lacking at the other mints, and was able to produce Morgan dollars with a much higher detail and luster that they were known for. The first coin struck there was the 1878-S Morgan dollar and this series was continued through the 1882-S dollar. These classic coins are in Fine or better condition, and contain 371.25 grams of pure silver, and over the years have maintained their legendary beauty.
With the exception of Proof coins and a few very special strikings, most of the Morgan silver dollars having the business strike are not very rare. There are several dates, however, that were graded at MS-65 and higher, and are definitely the "exception to the rule". An 1893-S Morgan dollar sold for $414,000 in 2001, and a few years later in 2008, another 1893-S, graded at MS-67 sold for in excess of $1,000,000!
Prior to the sale of this exquisite coin, it is believed that it was "dipped" to remove some of the particles that had adhered to the coin over the years, and also to remove some of the toning. This is a dangerous process at best, especially on a coin with this value. If the acidic solution is too strong or if the coin is kept in too long, chemical reaction can occur which will affect the coin. Two professional and well known coin graders stated that after this dipping process, they would not consider this coin to still be a MS-67 grade. Not a good thing!
This coin that we display in this post is a tribute proof clad, which is a copy and and commemorates the minting of the original 1893-S coin. For that reason, it sells for a very low price and does not contain the amount of silver as in the original coin. You can get one at our Gov Mint website
Three Stunning Morgan Silver Dollars For Sale That Survived The Great Earthquake
Back in the days of the old wild west, the San Francisco mint was famous for, as well as an important source of silver coins. The most popular coins that were minted here were the very popular Morgan silver dollars. The sheer weight and the bulk of the Morgan dollar coin, plus their .900 purity, bestowed on them much more respect that the paper dollar bills.
Way back in 1852, Congress authorized the construction of the San Francisco mint, and they officially opened in 1854. Twenty years later, in 1874, the famous mint moved into their new quarters in the center of San Francisco. This new building earned the name of "Granite Lady", mainly because it was constructed of granite. That nickname became even more true when a devastating earthquake struck the city in 1906, and the very next day the San Francisco mint was the only institution that opened for business as usual.
Today, the Morgan silver dollar with the famous "S" mint mark, is highly sought after by collectors because they are thought to be the most beautiful of all silver dollars, due primarily to the skilled artistry in the engraving of these special coins.
We have a special offer for you today - an 1879-S Morgan silver dollar - an 1882-S Morgan silver dollar - and an 1890-S Morgan silver dollar. Each coin is in an absolutely stunning Brilliant Uncirculated Condition. These three very special coins are on sale and you must see them to appreciate what they are and what they stand for. See these coins at GovMint.com! Click here!
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