Morgan Dollars were not popular during the time they were being struck by the US Mint. They were not considered particularly beautiful and most people outside of a few western states preferred to carry paper currency. But the Bland-Allison Act of 1878 and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of 1890 prescribed large purchases of silver from western mines and the minting of silver coinage to back silver certificates. This continued until the Panic of 1893 when the decline in the economy created a run on the gold supply. Then many were melted as a result of the silver recall prescribed in the Pittman Act while others were stored in Treasury buildings to be discovered by the General Services Administration in the 1960s.
Since their last mintage in 1921, the dollars designed by Mint Engraver George T. Morgan did not enjoy wide popularity until the GSA Hoard. Of the Morgan Dollars that hold the mystique are the ones struck at the Carson City Mint. Situation near the famous Comstock Lode, the Carson City Mint. Most CC minted dollars were amongst the lowest minted of the series. The highest mintage was the 1890-CC where over 2.3 million were struck.
Finding nice, affordable examples of CC mint Morgan Dollars can be difficult. Those of us on a budget compromise and purchase cleaned or polished coins in order to own at least one example. But when I had the opportunity to buy a nice, “common” CC coin for a good price, I could not resist.
I was walking the floor at the American Numismatic Association National Money Show in Charlotte and found a dealer selling quite a few ungraded Morgan Dollars. As I searched through several boxes, I came across a nice 1878-CC Morgan Dollar (2.2 million minted). The 2×2 holder the coins was in said the coin was in Almost Uncirculated. It was a nice, clean coin with some mint luster showing a great strike. I was sure that if it was slabbed it would have graded higher than what was written on the holder. It was priced as if it was an Extra Fine coin.
I could not resist… I bought my first no-problem CC Morgan Dollar!
It is a beautiful coin that looks great in the blue album shining next to my other Morgan Dollars.
2 Comments