Morgan dollar coin, 1884

The coin

This piece is an 1884 Morgan dollar struck at San Francisco. The obverse shows Liberty facing left, in a Phrygian cap with cotton and wheat, the band LIBERTY, and the legend E PLURIBUS UNUM; below, the date 1884 among stars. The reverse carries the eagle with spread wings, arrows and an olive branch, IN GOD WE TRUST above the bird, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA on the arc, and ONE DOLLAR under the wreath. The letter under the bow, above DOLLAR, is the S mint mark. PCGS numbers that business strike 7156. The type is 900-fine silver, 26.73 g and 38.10 mm, with a reeded edge: those are issue standards, not a weight or a caliper reading of this example. The photographs do not show the edge. The type carries an M for Morgan on the neck truncation and on the reverse bow; these photographs do not show that letter clearly enough to record it. No VAM variety is assigned. The piece is raw, with no holder. Wear on the portrait and the eagle, and marks in the fields, show in the photographs; they are not a numerical grade and they do not certify authenticity.

Legends

Obverse

E PLURIBUS UNUM · LIBERTY on the band · 1884.

Reverse

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA · IN GOD WE TRUST · ONE DOLLAR · S mint mark under the bow.

History

The coinage act of 1873 dropped the standard silver dollar. On 28 February 1878 Congress overrode the veto and passed the act that authorizes it again and restores legal tender, known as Bland-Allison: each month the Treasury bought not less than two million dollars of silver, and not more than four, and coined it into those dollars. The United States Mint places the weight and fineness at those of the act of 18 January 1837 — 26.73 g, 90% silver and 10% copper — and attributes the design to George T. Morgan. The first pieces are dated 1878. Philadelphia uses no mint mark; San Francisco uses S, New Orleans O, and Carson City CC. PCGS and Numista give the 1884-S a mintage of 3,200,000. The same date exists with no mark, with O, and with CC: this piece carries the S. PCGS treats the 1884-S as a condition rarity: most of the issue entered circulation early, and uncirculated pieces are scarce. That note describes the type, not a grade of this example. This record copies neither survival estimates nor a price.

Scarcity and type

PCGS CoinFacts (7156) publishes the San Francisco mintage: 3,200,000. Numista (N# 1492) lists the same figure on the 1884 S line. The date is a condition rarity, not a low mintage: it is common circulated and scarce uncirculated. This record reprints neither a slab census, nor a survival estimate, nor a price. The 1884 with no mint mark, the 1884-O, and the 1884-CC are other pieces.

Certification

The example is raw, with no holder. This module carries no serial number. The identity of this record is the photographed object — date 1884 and an S under the bow — not a certificate. The photographs do not confirm authenticity, cleaning, or a numerical grade. No VAM is assigned. If it is later slabbed, the cert number will replace this note.

Related pieces

Another piece in the United States collection.

• Morgan dollar · Carson City · 1883
• Gold dollar · United States Mint · 1856
• Morgan dollar · Carson City · 1885
• 2.50 dollars · United States Mint · 1912