The Morgan silver dollar has a rich history. It represents the best in silver coin manufacturing during its time. It is the most valuable among all silver coins minted by the United States in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The main reasons for the high Morgan silver dollar values were its size and silver content. The Morgan silver dollar is big and heavy by modern-day coin standards. It is almost 27 grams so carrying it around in your pocket is not ideal. It is also an inch and a half in diameter.
90% silver and 10% copper compose this silver dollar. The coin is worth around $20.47 based on its silver content alone. Minted from 1878 to 1904 and then in 1921, the original design of this coin was for a half dollar. The die needed to be larger so the words “half-dollar” became “one dollar.” George Morgan designed the coin so it became Morgan silver dollars.
There are plenty of valuable Morgan silver dollars from general circulation. Below is a list of the top three. These are standard-issued Morgan silver dollars and do not reference error coins.
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1901 Morgan silver dollar
This coin has an average value of $48. A certified mint state of this coin can be worth up to $425,500. It has no mintmark. It is still worth around $28 more than the intrinsic value from silver content of $20 even in poor condition. That is why it is valuable to a collector.
1893 S Morgan silver dollar
The estimated average value of this coin is about $6,492. One in certified mint state can have a value of up to $300,000. It bears S as its mint mark. There were only 100,000 of these coins issued. Even in poor condition it can still be valuable. It will be worth as much as $6,471 more than the intrinsic value from silver content of $20. It is a better long term investment for collectors.
1889 CC Morgan silver dollar
In average condition, this coin has an estimated value of around $1,591. If it is in certified mint state it can be worth up to around $280,000 at auctions. There was one 1889 CC Morgan silver dollar sold at a Heritage Auction in 2009. The price was more than $500,000. This coin in poor condition is worth $1,570 more than the intrinsic value from silver content of $20.
The following Morgan silver dollars also have high values
- 1893 O Morgan silver dollar – $150,000
- 1892 S Morgan silver dollar – $130,000
- 1895 O Morgan silver dollar – $120,000
- 1896 O Morgan silver dollar – $100,000
- 1895 Morgan silver dollar – $70,000
