Rare Coins Daily Rare coin guides and inquiries

MORGAN DOLLAR

MASTER SORT GUIDE 1878–1921
CC • O • S • D • KEY DATES • 1878 TAIL FEATHERS • PL / DMPL • VAM CANDIDATES
SORTING LEGEND
P1Pull Immediately / Authenticate
P2Check Carefully / Better Date
P3Common / Condition Pull
CCCarson City
PLProoflike
DMPLDeep Mirror Prooflike
VAMDie variety attribution
Ag90% silver
ESSENTIAL TOOLS
Microscope
or 10x loupe
0.01g
Scale
Good
Lighting
VAM / Ref.
Guide
1P1 MONEY COINS
Date / IssuePri.What To Check
1893-SP1King of business-strike Morgans; authenticate
1889-CCP1Carson City key date
1895 ProofP1Proof-only issue; no regular business strikes known
1892-SP1Major condition rarity
1893-CCP1Key Carson City date
1895-OP1Key New Orleans date
1901-SP1Condition rarity in Mint State
1884-S MSP1Common circulated, rare Mint State

1893-S

1893-S Morgan dollar placeholder

Authenticate all examples.

1889-CC

1889-CC Morgan dollar placeholder

Carson City key.

1895 Proof

1895 Proof Morgan dollar placeholder

Proof-only rarity.

Series Type

Morgan dollar obverse placeholder

Check date, mintmark, surfaces.

2MINTMARK GUIDE & SILVER
MintMarkNotes
PhiladelphiaNoneNo mintmark
Carson CityCCHigh collector demand; pull every CC
New OrleansOMany better dates and VAMs
San FranciscoSMany condition rarities; check pre-1905 S-mints
DenverD1921 only
Morgan dollar obverse placeholderOBVERSE
Morgan dollar reverse placeholderREVERSE / MINTMARK
Silver Edge
Clad Edge
Specs: Morgan dollars are 90% silver and 10% copper, 26.73g, 38.1mm, reeded edge, with 0.7734 troy oz silver.
3KEY DATE CHART
GroupPri.Pull Dates
Top KeysP11893-S, 1889-CC, 1895 Proof
Major KeysP11892-S, 1893-CC, 1895-O, 1901-S
Condition KeysP11884-S, 1886-O, 1896-O, 1903-S
Better CCP21879-CC, 1880-CC, 1881-CC, 1885-CC, 1890-CC, 1891-CC
Better O/SP21894, 1894-O, 1897-O, 1904-S
GSA CCP2Original GSA holders and paperwork add demand
Mintmark location: Morgan mintmarks appear on the reverse below the wreath ribbon and above DOLLAR.
4CONDITION DIAGNOSTICS
Morgan dollar ear and cheek detail placeholderEAR / CHEEK
Morgan dollar eagle breast detail placeholderBREAST FEATHERS
FeaturePull If
CheekClean cheek with few bag marks
Hair/EarSharp hair detail above ear
Cotton LeavesStrong cotton bolls/leaves
Eagle BreastFull breast and wing feathers
LusterOriginal cartwheel, PL, or DMPL mirrors
ToningAttractive original color; avoid artificial toning
PL / DMPL: Prooflike and Deep Mirror Prooflike surfaces can be extremely desirable, especially on CC and key-date Morgans.
5VARIETIES & ERROR COINS
Variety / ErrorPri.What To Look For
1878 8TFP1Eight tail feathers on eagle
1878 7TFP2Seven tail feathers; reverse subtype matters
1878 7/8TFP1Seven over eight tail feathers
1888-O Hot LipsP1Dramatic doubled profile/lips
1888-O ScarfaceP1Large die break across Liberty’s face
O/CC & CC/OP1Over-mintmark varieties
1891-CC Spitting EagleP2Die gouge near eagle’s beak
Wrong Planchet / Off-CenterP1Major mint errors; authenticate
1878 8TF Morgan placeholder1878 TAIL FEATHERS
1888-O Hot Lips Morgan placeholderHOT LIPS
6QUICK SORT CHECKLIST

CHECK FIRST

  1. Every CC mintmark
  2. Every 1890s coin
  3. Every S-mint before 1905
  4. 1893-S
  5. 1889-CC
  6. 1895 Proof
  7. 1878 tail feathers
  8. PL / DMPL surfaces
  9. Attractive toning
  10. VAM candidates
Fast workflow: sort by mintmark → pull CC / early S / 1890s → check 1878 feather type → inspect surfaces → screen for VAMs and errors.
Authenticate: 1893-S, 1889-CC, 1895 Proof, O/CC, CC/O, major VAMs, and any very high-grade key date.
Notice Updated