1878 Morgan Silver Dollar Value (Rare Errors, “S”, “CC” and No Mint Mark) (2023)

FAQs

What happens if my silver dollar doesn't have a mint mark? ›

The short is yes; the presence or absence of a mint mark can and usually do affect the coin's value. However, there is no defined rule of thumb to this because each coin is different. In some cases, the mint mark may increase the value, but in others, a no-mint-mark error may increase the worth.

This incredibly rare collectible coin features an 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar with the eight-tail feather error on the reverse. Although the eight-tail feather error was soon noticed and addressed by over-stamping the eagle's tail with seven feathers, the quick fix only created another error: the 7/8 tail feather Morgan.

1878 CC Morgan Dollar Value

According to the NGC Price Guide, as of June 2023, a Morgan Dollar from 1878 in circulated condition is worth between $120 and $385. However, on the open market 1878 CC Silver Dollars in pristine, uncirculated condition sell for as much as $40000.

The short answer is sometimes.

Certain coins without mint marks are extremely valuable, but it's essential to watch out for the coins that were altered or damaged by someone outside the mint. Here are several rare coins without mint marks that hold a much higher value than the original minted face value.

No-mint mark coins in excellent condition can fetch $42, while those in perfect condition go for about $45 if you have the uncirculated no-mint coins, $60 for MS 60 grade and $250 for MS 65 grade.

1878 (CC) Carson City Silver Dollar Value

This coin was minted in the Nevada city of Carson City and is highly sought-after by collectors. During this time, Carson City was heavy into mining silver, and the US Mint location mainly minted silver coins, making the CC mint mark quite historic and rare.

According to the Professional Coin Grading Service, the 1901-S is the rarest Morgan silver dollar to find in true mint condition. Early sales of these coins don't reflect their rarity, as people hadn't actually realized how unusual the mint coins were.

The mint mark indicates where the coin was minted. The five mints that produced Morgan silver dollars from 1878 – 1921 are the Denver (D) mint, the San Francisco (S) mint, the New Orleans (O) mint, the Carson City (CC) mint and the Philadelphia mint.

The most valuable and lowest minted Philadelphia-issued coin is from 1895. Only 880 of these coins were produced making them the rarest and most valuable Morgan silver dollar. Other lower mintage Morgan dollars from Philadelphia are from 1894, 1895 and 1899.

What is the most valuable 1878 Morgan silver dollar? ›

More than 2.2 million 1878-CC Morgans were struck, but the issue remained rare in uncirculated grades until the 1950s. As many as 200,000 1878-CC Morgan dollars came to light from the late 1940s to the mid 50s, but the mintage was sorely underrepresented in the GSA sales of 1972–1974.

All of the No S mint mark varieties are proof coins only and the 1982 No P is the lone exception because it is a business strike and can be found in change. These are coins where the mint mark was not punched into the die so never had a mint mark.

Mintage Means Money

One quick way to determine if a coin is rare or valuable is to look at the mintage. That's the number of copies of the coin that the US mint produced (aka issued). The lower the original number of copies printed, the more valuable a coin will likely become.

The best way to determine if your coins are silver is to view the edge of the coin. If the coin has a solid silver stripe, then you can feel confident that it's silver. If you can see a copper stripe, then the coin is clad. A more subdued silver stripe with faint traces of copper could mean that the coin is 40% silver.

Morgan Silver Dollars all have . 7735 ounces of silver in them. So you can multiply that times the current price of silver to find out the absolute minimum your coin should be worth. As stated previously though, many Morgan Dollars will be collectible because of their rarity and desirability.

The key date for the series is the 1893-S Morgan Dollar, which had a mintage of 100,000 coins. This represents the lowest mintage for a circulation strike coin and no significant hoards ever surfaced for this issue.

The reverse hub type was first used in 1878 as the name implies, and is instantly recognized by its flat low relief eagle with a slightly concave center on its breast and parallel upper arrow feather. By contrast, the Reverse of 1879 has a higher relief eagle with a rounded breast and a slanted upper arrow feather.

What makes a silver dollar worth more? ›

Between 1794 and 1935, the US Dollar coin was minted in silver. Although this coin has a nominal face value of one dollar, a silver dollar is worth much more than that due to the value of its pure silver content.

Reverse inscriptions are “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,” “IN GOD WE TRUST,” and “ONE DOLLAR.” The reverse also features a “CC” privy mark, in recognition of the historic Mint facility located in Carson City, NV, where some of the original Morgan Dollars were minted.

The Carson City Mint only struck silver Morgan Dollars for a span of 13 years from 1878 to 1893. Due to this limited run, Morgan Dollars with the illustrious “CC” mintmark are a favorite among numismatists.

Carson City coins enjoy both high demand and limited supply, making them a sound choice for collectors. One astounding example of limited supply is the 1873-CC No Arrows Dime—the last of its species. 12,400 were minted in a single production run and all are presumed melted and converted to Arrows Dimes.

Invest in Only the Highest Grade Morgan Dollars

The following best investments are the very high grade, MS-65, or better coins. They are pricey compared to MS-60 to MS-63, but their incredible rarity in the age of encapsulated coins makes them a good investment.

Very Good-8 (VG8 or VG-8)

The design is clear and significant elements are defined but are flat and lacking in detail. The rim should be full and completely separated from the field around the entire circumference of the coin on both the obverse and the reverse.

Key dates in this series include 1889-CC, 1893-S, and 1895 (Proof only). Other dates (such as 1895-O) are considered condition-rarities (common in low grade but extremely rare in high grade).

Morgan silver dollars were the normal coins for trade from 1878 to 1904 and in 2021. Today, the coin's treasury mint, the number of strikes the mint made that year, and its current state affect the value. If you own the uncirculated and proof versions, know they are rare.

This fake is mostly copper, but even if you didn't know that, there are other red flags. The 1880-CC Morgan Dollar had a mintage of slightly under half a million. The NGC Price Guide indicates even heavily circulated examples are worth at least $100, with expected prices easily surpassing $500 in Mint State.

To add to the desirability, the Carson City Morgan Dollars are considered the elusive unicorn when it comes to coin collecting. Morgan silver dollars that were minted at the Nevada Carson City Mint from 1878 – 1885 and again from 1890 – 1893 are some of the most highly sought-after numismatic coins in the industry.

What year Morgan silver dollar is most common? ›

Dates and mint marks our choice, based on availability. As 1921 was the most common year for Morgan Silver Dollar minting, orders for this product are typically fulfilled with coins from that year. If you would like to purchase a pre-1921 Morgan Dollar, please get in touch with a member of our team.

The 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar is the most common U.S. silver dollar, with nearly 90 million minted at the Philadelphia, San Francisco and the Denver Mints.

Peace Silver Dollars

The Peace Dollar was minted for a limited time – from 1921-1928 and from 1934-1935. Yet, it remains one of the most popular U.S. dollar coins. The limited mintage of peace dollars is a part of the attraction. Another part of the reason is its historical value.

Cleaning Issues

Even though it's counterintuitive, you should never clean a coin, as it can significantly reduce its value. Even coins that have substantial dirt, tarnishing, or toning should be kept in their original condition.

The mint mark, when present, can be found on the reverse side of the coin below the wreath. The 1878 silver dollar with no mint mark has a few different variations, and each variation has a different value. These variations are on the reverse side of the coin.

This coin has a total mass of 26.73 g, a diameter of 1.5 in, and a thickness of 2.4 mm. It's edge is Reeded, and the coins are composed of 90.0% Silver & 10.0% Copper.

Despite a mintage of 756,000 pieces, the 1879-CC Morgan Dollar (Buy on eBay) ranks as the second scarcest of the Carson City issues.

The 1878 7-Tailfeather Morgan dollar comes in two variations. The first has an eagle with a flat breast, and a parallel top arrow feather, which is denoted the reverse of 1878. This is by far the most common variety of 1878 Morgan dollar.

Metal Composition of Morgan Silver Dollars

An easy way to detect if your coins is fake is to check to see if it's magnetic. Precious metals, such as gold, silver, platinum and palladium aren't magnetic, so if your coin is attracted to a strong magnet, such as an earth magnet, then you can be sure that it's fake.

Do all coins have to have a mint mark? ›

Beginning in 1979, Philadelphia dollars were designated as such, and since 1980 all coins struck there (except cents) bear a mintmark.

The 1883 silver dollar with no mint mark is worth around $45 in very fine condition. In extremely fine condition the value is around $47. In uncirculated condition the price is around $70 for coins with an MS 60 grade.

1901-S. According to the Professional Coin Grading Service, the 1901-S is the rarest Morgan silver dollar to find in true mint condition. Early sales of these coins don't reflect their rarity, as people hadn't actually realized how unusual the mint coins were.

After the Flowing Hair dollars, the next most collectable silver dollars are the Morgan Dollars and the Peace Dollars. Morgan Dollars were minted from 1878 to 1904 and then again briefly in 1921. They were designed by George T. Morgan and are highly valued both for their comparative rarity and their beauty.

Silver is a diamagnetic material. So, magnets will not stick to them.

Of note, the 1888, 1892, 1893, 1895, 1902 and 1903 are more valuable coins. The most valuable of the San Francisco Morgan silver dollars is the 1893. A mere 100,000 of these coins were produced with values beginning at over $1,000.

Perhaps you, too, had a Carson City silver dollar passed down to you from your grandfather. They're easy to spot. Simply look for the “CC” mint mark above the word dollar, on the coin's reverse. From the day the Carson City Mint opened, it began making gold and silver coins from the newly found deposits in the West.

Mint Mark Facts

No mint marks appeared on circulating coins from 1965 to 1967. The Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated mint marks to discourage collecting while the Mint worked to meet the country's coinage needs. Mint marks were placed on the reverse of coins until 1968 when they moved to the obverse.

If the date of a US coin is written without a mintmark, it means that the coin has no mintmark and was (usually) minted in Philadelphia. Coins without mintmarks made in Philadelphia are sometimes referred to as, for example, 1927-P, even though there may be no mintmark on the coin.

Only four minting locations still remain open: Denver (D), Philadelphia (P), San Francisco (S), and West Point (W).

What makes a 1886 silver dollar valuable? ›

These silver dollars produced in San Francisco were only struck in 750,000 pieces, making them the rarest variety. Most have an excellent appeal, with sharp strikes which makes them more more costly. The auction record for a 1886-S Morgan silver dollar was an amazing $66,000 in 2020!

1883 S Silver Dollar

The 1883 silver dollar with an “S” mint mark is from the San Francisco location of the US Mint. It is considered to be the most sought after of all the mint mark locations for the 1883 silver dollar. It is rare, and it can fetch a great price in any grade but especially good for uncirculated.

A mintage of over 12 million coins makes the 1883 Morgan dollar a typical common date coin.