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Silver Investing - Morgan Silver Dollars

By John Ausiman

The Morgan Silver Dollar - A Brief History
No other U. S. silver coin can compare with the rich history enjoyed by Morgan silver dollars (also known as the Liberty Head silver dollar). Designed by George T. Morgan, the Morgan dollar remains a favorite of both casual and serious coin collectors.

A total of five U. S. Mints were involved in the production of Morgan silver dollars from 1878 thru 1921: Carson City; Denver (1921 only); New Orleans; Philadelphia; and San Francisco.

Minting of the Morgan dollar was suspended in 1904 due a government shortage of silver bullion. Only about 8,812,000 (a relatively small mintage) were produced that year. It was another 17 years before another Morgan silver dollar was minted. In 1921, production resumed but later that year the Morgan dollar was replaced by the Peace silver dollar.

The world would be awash in Morgan silver dollars except for two events: 1) the Pittman Act of 1918 permitted the melting of 270,232,722 Morgans for their silver content; and, 2) unknown millions more were turned in and melted when silver reached an all time high of $50.50 per ounce in 1980. So the number of Morgan dollars in existence are far less than the number minted.

The Morgan Silver Dollar - Facts and Details
The Morgan silver dollar features the head of Lady Liberty on the obverse side and a spread-winged eagle on the reverse. Several small variations were made to this coin over its mint life. The mint mark is toward the bottom on the reverse side (just below the ribbon loops). Mint marks are 'CC' for Carson City, 'D' for Denver, 'O' for New Orleans and 'S' for the San Francisco Mints. If no mint mark appears, it was minted in Philadelphia.

Morgan silver dollars are 90% silver and 10% copper. Uncirculated Morgans contain .7734 Troy ounces of pure silver (24.0566 grams) with a gross weight of .859 Troy ounces (26.728 grams). Circulated Morgans are considered to contain .7650 Troy ounces of pure silver due to the 'wear factor' in handling these coins (sometimes referred to as trade content). Circulated silver coins (including Morgan silver dollars) have been given the unworthy name 'junk' silver.

If you are looking for the least expensive way of owning Morgan silver dollars and still get good coins, stay with the circulated grades of Extremely Fine (EF or XF) or About Uncirculated (AU). Uncirculated coins begin with Mint State 60 (MS60) and go to top-of-the-line MS65s. Use caution when investing in MS63 and higher grades - they should be graded and 'slabbed' by either NGC or PCGS.

Stay with reputable dealers. And be sure to shop around - don't buy from the first dealer you find that sells Morgan dollars. Prices can vary widely and you will want to compare prices from several dealers to get the maximum amount of silver for your money.

Disclaimer: I have made every reasonable effort to produce an informative and helpful article on Morgan silver dollars based on my research and experiences. However, I make no representation or warranties of any kind with regard to its completeness, accuracy or suitability for any specific situation or purpose.

Copyright � 2008 Silver Investing Simplified - Morgan Silver Dollars

About The Author

John Ausiman was a salesman of gold and silver for one of the oldest, most reputable precious metals dealers in the U.S. He no longer is actively selling precious metals but wants to share his expertise with would-be gold and silver investors. You will find this complete article (with pictures) and other useful articles on silver at his web site http://www.silverinvestingsimplified.com

More Gold & Silver Coins Information

Preserve gold bars and bullion coins in the original mint packaging. Since it is soft, mint-fresh gold is easily subject to scratches from rough surfaces. Careful handling and preserving can go a long way in getting the best price during a resale.
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Whether you are buying from a bricks and mortar dealer or buying online through a website or an auction site like EBay, check the reliability of the dealer. For a store, at least check with the local Better Business Bureau. If the dealer is a member of the Professional Numismatists Guild (PNG), that is a big plus. For an EBay auction, check the seller's feedback rating. If it's very low, or there are many negatives, think twice before spending a large sum with them. On large ticket items, ask if the seller will agree to use Escrow.com. They act as a middleman and the money doesn't pass to the seller until the buyer is satisfied with the item. The buyer will pay a charge, but it's well worth it when big money is changing hands.
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The Gold American Eagle gold coins are made from government guaranteed gold. First introduced in 1986, U.S. Gold Eagles are the #1 gold bullion coin choice among investors across the world. After careful consideration, the United States mint decided to copy the design of the $20 Saint-Gaudens gold coin for the obverse of its new Gold Eagle. The $20 Saint-Gaudens was commissioned by Theodore Roosevelt to create coins of awe like the ancient Greek and Roman coins. The date, situated to the viewer's right of Miss Liberty, appears in Roman Numerals in the years from 1986-91 it has appeared in Arabic Numerals ever since.
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Occasionally, someone will come up with a new (and usually foolproof) method for coin restoration, whether dipping the coins in ketchup or vinegar or Coca-Cola. What these methods usually involve is dipping the coin in a very weak acid to restore the surface. Most of the time, they can ruin the toning (that's what acid does), causing a valuable coin to lose most of its value.
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Senator the Hon Nick Sherry, Minister for Superannuation and Corporate Law, today launched the first coin in the Inspirational Australians' coin series which features the Australian people's saint, Blessed Mary MacKillop.

Mary MacKillop Australian Saint Commemorated on $1 Coin

The Inspirational Australian coin series recognises and celebrates individual achievements and commemorates unique Australians who have made an extraordinary contribution to our society.

"As the Australian people's saint, and someone who could be called Australia's saint in waiting, Mary MacKillop is a fitting choice for the first coin in the Inspirational Australian series."

"The Royal Australian Mint's world class coin designer Vladimir Gottwald has designed a coin which depicts Mary MacKillop guiding future generations.

Mary was an exceptional Australian woman who stands as an example of great courage, trust and compassion and as our first saint, she will forever inspire our nation," said Minister Sherry.

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