A Morgan Silver Dollar is worth at minimum $56.46 in any condition — that’s the silver melt value based on its 0.77344 troy ounces of pure silver at today’s spot price. Most circulated common-date Morgans trade at melt plus a modest collector premium. Rare key dates in top grades can reach six figures or more. The exact value depends on three factors: the coin’s date and mint mark, its grade, and the current silver spot price.
💡 Current Morgan Dollar Melt Value: $56.46
Based on 0.77344 troy oz of pure silver at today’s spot price. This is the floor value for any Morgan Dollar, regardless of date or condition.
Use the value tables below to find your specific date and mint mark, then factor in condition using the grading guide. If you want to calculate the melt value of other silver coins, use our silver coin melt value calculator.
What Is the Morgan Silver Dollar?
The Morgan Silver Dollar is one of the most recognizable and widely collected coins in American history — and at current silver prices, even the most common examples represent real money. Designed by George T. Morgan, an English-born engraver recruited by the U.S. Mint in 1876, the coin was minted from 1878 through 1904 and then again for one final year in 1921 before the Peace Dollar replaced it.
Unlike most U.S. coins named for their subject matter, the Morgan Dollar is named for its designer — a distinction that speaks to the esteem the design earned over time. The obverse features a helmeted Liberty, modeled on Philadelphia schoolteacher Anna Willess Williams, who reportedly agreed to a single sitting before growing uncomfortable with the attention her likeness attracted. The reverse shows a heraldic eagle that was the subject of immediate controversy: how many tail feathers should the eagle have? The answer changed multiple times in the first year of production alone.
The Morgan Dollar was the coin of the American West. It was struck during the silver boom that followed the Comstock Lode and subsequent western mining discoveries — overproduction that eventually contributed to the monetary debates of the 1890s. Five mints struck Morgans across the series, and their combined output exceeded 650 million coins. Yet some individual dates from remote or short-lived mints had fewer than 100,000 struck — creating the scarcity that makes key-date Morgans among the most valuable U.S. coins in existence.
Morgan Silver Dollar Specifications and Silver Content
Every Morgan Dollar — from the most common 1921 Philadelphia to the rarest 1893-S — contains exactly the same amount of silver. The silver content is fixed by composition and weight, and it is what gives every Morgan Dollar a hard floor value regardless of its collector grade or condition.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Designer | George T. Morgan |
| Years Minted | 1878–1904, 1921 |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Total Weight | 26.73 grams |
| Pure Silver Content | 0.77344 troy oz |
| Diameter | 38.1 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Mints | Philadelphia (P), New Orleans (O), San Francisco (S), Carson City (CC), Denver (D) |
Morgan Dollar Melt Value
The 0.77344 troy ounce silver content is the foundation of every Morgan Dollar’s value. At any silver spot price, the melt value is straightforward to calculate — and at current prices, it’s substantial. The live melt value right now is $56.46.
This is the absolute floor. A dealer buying common circulated Morgans will pay at or near melt for heavily worn examples. A coin in any grade, from any date, is worth at minimum its silver content — and at $73.00/oz silver, that’s a meaningful floor even for coins that would have been considered junk silver a decade ago.
Why do most Morgan Dollars trade above melt even in worn condition? Recognizability, collector demand, and the 90% silver premium. Bullion buyers know what a Morgan Dollar is. Coin dealers know what a Morgan Dollar is. There is always a market, which means the spread between spot and selling price stays narrow. To calculate melt values for other 90% silver coins in your collection, use our silver coin melt value calculator.
Understanding Morgan Dollar Mint Marks
The single most common mistake new Morgan Dollar collectors make is overlooking the mint mark — or not knowing where to find it. The mint mark on a Morgan Dollar is on the reverse of the coin, above the letters “DO” in DOLLAR, between the eagle’s tail feathers. Philadelphia coins carry no mint mark at all.
The mint mark matters because it directly determines scarcity. An 1884 Philadelphia Morgan Dollar and an 1884 Carson City Morgan Dollar share the same design and the same silver content. But one was struck by the millions; the other by the thousands. The difference in value between them can be hundreds of dollars.
The Five Mints — and Why It Matters for Value
| Mint | Mark | Active Years | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Philadelphia | None | 1878–1904, 1921 | Highest mintages; most common dates |
| New Orleans | O | 1879–1904 | Variable quality; some significant dates |
| San Francisco | S | 1878–1904 | Generally well-struck; some key dates; S-mint coins highly regarded in high grades |
| Carson City | CC | 1878–1893 | Lowest mintages overall; most valuable as a group; CC closed permanently in 1893 |
| Denver | D | 1921 only | Common — one year only; value near melt in circulated grades |
Why Carson City Morgans Command a Premium
The Carson City Mint occupies a unique place in American numismatic history. Nestled in the Nevada desert and opened to process the massive silver output of the Comstock Lode, it was always a small operation — and its Morgan Dollar production reflects that. Where Philadelphia struck tens of millions of coins in a single year, Carson City might strike fewer than a million, and some years far fewer than that.
The CC mint closed permanently in 1893 — meaning its Morgan Dollar series has a defined endpoint after just sixteen years. That finite run, combined with historically low mintages, means that even the most common Carson City dates (1882-CC, 1883-CC, 1884-CC) carry meaningful premiums over equivalent Philadelphia dates. For the rarest CC dates — 1889-CC, 1893-CC — the premium can reach tens of thousands of dollars in Mint State grades. Carson City Morgans are among the most romanticized coins in all of U.S. numismatics, and collector demand for them has never wavered.
How Much Is a Morgan Silver Dollar Worth? Value by Date and Grade
The value of a Morgan Dollar depends on three things: date, mint mark, and condition. Most people who find a Morgan Dollar in a drawer or an estate collection have one of the common dates. Here’s what that means in dollar terms — and where the real money is.
Common Dates — What Most Morgan Dollars Are Worth
Common Philadelphia and New Orleans dates include: 1878-P, 1879-P through 1888-P, 1879-O through 1888-O, 1890-P/O, 1891-P/O, 1896-P through 1900-P, and all 1921-P/D/S issues. These dates were struck in the millions and survive in large quantities. Their value is primarily driven by silver content and collector floor demand.
The table below expresses values as current melt value ($56.46) plus a collector premium. This format stays accurate as silver moves — the premium range reflects market conditions at approximately $73.00/oz silver. Approximate dollar figures shown for reference at that price level.
| Grade | Premium Over Melt | Approx. Value at $73.00/oz | What to Look For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good (G-4/6) | Melt + $2–6 | ~$58.40–65.70 | Heavy wear; LIBERTY partially legible; date and mint readable |
| Very Good (VG-8/10) | Melt + $4–10 | ~$62.05–67.89 | LIBERTY readable; main design features clear |
| Fine (F-12/15) | Melt + $8–16 | ~$69.35–80.30 | All features visible; moderate wear on high points |
| Very Fine (VF-20/30) | Melt + $14–25 | ~$73.00–87.60 | Light wear on high points only; hair and feather detail present |
| Very Fine (VF-35) | Melt + $22–35 | ~$80.30–$87.60 | — |
| Extremely Fine (EF-40) | Melt + $30–45 | ~$87.60–98.55 | Slight wear; most luster still present in protected areas |
| Extremely Fine (EF-45) | Melt + $38–55 | ~$87.60–105.85 | — |
| About Uncirculated (AU-50) | Melt + $45–70 | ~$98.55–100.74 | Trace wear on highest points; luster mostly intact |
| About Uncirculated (AU-55) | Melt + $55–85 | ~$109.50–138.69 | — |
| About Uncirculated (AU-58) | Melt + $65–100 | ~$131.39–145.99 | Near-Mint; can be difficult to distinguish from MS without experience |
| Mint State (MS-60/61) | Melt + $75–120 | ~$131.39–182.49 | No wear; bagmarks or weak strike present |
| Mint State (MS-62) | Melt + $100–150 | ~$138.69–204.39 | — |
| Mint State (MS-63) | Melt + $130–200 | ~$182.49–240.89 | Above-average preservation for the date |
| Mint State (MS-64) | Melt + $210–380 | ~$277.39–437.98 | — |
| Mint State (MS-65) | Melt + $400–800+ | ~$474.48–656.97+ | Gem; sharply struck, minimal contact marks, strong luster |
Note: San Francisco common dates (1880-S, 1881-S, 1882-S, 1883-S, 1884-S) typically carry a 10–20% additional premium in MS grades for their generally superior strike quality and surface preservation.
Semi-Key Dates — Worth Looking Twice At
These dates are not rare outright, but they carry meaningful premiums over common dates in any grade due to lower mintages, historically popular varieties, or unusual scarcity in high grades:
- 1880-CC — All Carson City varieties; significant premium in any grade
- 1881-CC — Lower mintage than most CC dates; well-struck examples in high demand
- 1885-CC — Among the most attractive of the CC issues; last CC date before a brief gap
- 1879-S Reverse of 1878 — The earlier reverse design punch on an S-mint coin; variety collectors pay a premium
- 1886-O — Deceptively scarce in high grades despite a moderate mintage; MS examples are genuinely rare
- 1893-P — Sharply lower mintage than surrounding Philadelphia years; stronger premium beginning at VF
- 1895-O — Low mintage; frequently found cleaned; original-surface examples are worth significantly more
- 1903-O — Famous for the “Redfield Hoard” discovery in 1976; strong collector identity
Key Dates — The Coins That Change Everything
Key date Morgan Dollars are where numismatic value takes over from silver content entirely. At $56.46 melt, even the most common circulated key date is worth at least that — but the collector premium on these coins is measured in multiples of melt, not percentages. Values below reflect early 2026 market conditions; verify against current PCGS Price Guide and Heritage Auctions realized prices before any transaction.
| Date/Mint | Mintage | VG–Fine | Very Fine | EF–AU | MS-63 | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893-S | 100,000 | $2,500–4,000 | $5,000–8,000 | $12,000–25,000 | $65,000–140,000 | The undisputed key date of the series; most survivors are cleaned or damaged |
| 1895-P | ~880 (proof only) | — | — | $45,000–65,000 (Proof) | $80,000–120,000 (Proof) | No confirmed business strikes; all known examples are proofs |
| 1889-CC | 350,000 | $500–900 | $900–1,800 | $3,500–7,000 | $22,000–50,000 | Extremely low survival rate in all grades; nearly all heavily circulated |
| 1893-CC | 677,000 | $600–1,100 | $1,200–2,500 | $5,000–12,000 | $18,000–45,000 | Second-rarest Carson City Morgan |
| 1892-CC | 1,352,000 | $200–400 | $400–800 | $1,500–4,000 | $6,000–18,000 | — |
| 1879-CC | 756,000 | $200–375 | $375–700 | $1,200–3,500 | $6,000–20,000 | Capped Die variety commands a significant additional premium |
| 1884-S | 3,200,000 | $65.70–80.30 | $90–200 | $350–900 | $25,000–100,000 | Common in circulated grades; extraordinarily rare in Mint State |
| 1893-O | 300,000 | $250–500 | $550–1,100 | $2,500–6,000 | $12,000–40,000 | Most known examples survive only in low grades |
| 1901-P | 6,962,000 | $65.70–80.30 | $80–150 | $200–500 | $12,000–75,000 | Mirror of the 1884-S — common in circulation, extremely rare as a Gem |
| 1882-O/S | — | $65.70–87.60 | $100–200 | $250–600 | $1,500–5,000 | Overmintmark variety: O punched over S; one of the most famous Morgan varieties |
Values sourced from PCGS Price Guide and Heritage Auctions realized prices. Always verify against current records before buying or selling any key-date coin.
How to Grade a Morgan Silver Dollar
You cannot answer “what is my Morgan Dollar worth?” without knowing its grade. Grading is not subjective in the sense of personal preference — it follows a standardized 70-point scale (the Sheldon scale) where specific wear patterns define each grade. On a Morgan Dollar, wear shows up in predictable places, and knowing where to look makes the difference between a $90 coin and a $200 coin.
The Grading Scale — What Each Grade Looks Like on a Morgan
Good (G-4/6): Heavy wear throughout. The word LIBERTY on Liberty’s headband is partially visible — you can make out letters, but not all of them clearly. The eagle’s breast feathers are flat and merged together. The coin is identifiable as a Morgan Dollar and the date and mint mark are readable. Worth melt plus a small premium.
Very Good (VG-8/10): LIBERTY is readable but worn. The main design elements — Liberty’s portrait, the eagle — are clear but show uniform wear. Hair above Liberty’s ear shows some detail. The coin has a pleasing appearance despite its wear.
Fine (F-12/15): LIBERTY is fully visible. Hair above Liberty’s ear shows strands beginning to separate. The eagle’s breast feathers begin to show individual separation. All design elements are present and clear.
Very Fine (VF-20/30/35): Moderate wear on the highest points only. Hair detail is visible above Liberty’s ear and in the curls below. The eagle’s breast feathers are mostly separated. The cheek shows light wear. A VF coin has genuine eye appeal.
Extremely Fine (EF-40/45): Slight wear only on the very highest design points — Liberty’s cheek, the hair above her ear, the eagle’s breast, and the wing tips. Most detail is sharp. Original luster may show in protected areas (within letters, within the recesses of the design).
About Uncirculated (AU-50/55/58): Trace wear only, visible primarily on the highest points under good lighting. AU-58 can be extremely difficult to distinguish from a Mint State coin without experience — a loupe and raking light are often necessary. Luster is mostly present but broken on the high points.
Mint State (MS-60 through MS-70): No wear at all. The entire grading at this level is about the quality of luster, the sharpness of strike, and the number and severity of contact marks (bagmarks) in the fields. The difference between MS-63 and MS-65 can be thousands of dollars on the same date — and on a key date, the difference between MS-64 and MS-65 can exceed $50,000.
Where to Look When Grading a Morgan
Morgan Dollars have well-established “focal points” where wear appears first and where graders direct their primary attention:
- Liberty’s cheek — The first area to show wear; any flatness here moves the coin below AU
- Hair above Liberty’s ear — The primary grading point for intermediate grades (VF/EF)
- Eagle’s breast feathers — Central design; degree of separation defines Fine through Very Fine
- Eagle’s wing tips — Show early wear in AU grades
- The fields — The flat, open areas around the design; bagmarks and contact marks accumulate here and define the Mint State grade
Professional Grading — When Is It Worth Sending In?
PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) are the two universally accepted third-party grading services. A coin graded and encapsulated (“slabbed”) by either service commands a premium over an equivalent raw coin because dealers and buyers don’t need to independently assess the grade — the grade is certified.
Standard submission fees run $30–75 per coin for most Morgan Dollars. The economics are straightforward: if the difference between the grade you think your coin is and the next grade up represents more than the grading fee, it’s worth submitting. A common circulated G-4 Morgan in the $60 range is not worth a $40 grading fee. An AU-58 that might be MS-62 — where the grade difference is $75–100 — often is. Any coin that might grade MS-63 or better on a semi-key date should be submitted without question.
VAM Varieties — Hidden Value in Ordinary Dates
VAM stands for Van Allen-Mallis, from the landmark 1972 reference book by Leroy Van Allen and A. George Mallis that catalogued every known Morgan and Peace Dollar die variety. Morgan Dollars were struck from hundreds of different die pairs across five mints over three decades — and each die pair can carry unique characteristics that distinguish it from all others: doubled dies, repunched mint marks, clashed dies, polishing lines, and dramatic die gouges.
These varieties can transform a circulated common-date Morgan from a $65 coin into a $500+ collector piece — sometimes more. The VAM community is one of the most active sub-specialties in U.S. numismatics, driven by YouTube channels, online attribution guides, and a devoted collector base that hunts specifically for these anomalies.
Notable VAMs Worth Knowing
1881-S VAM-1 (Hot Lips): The date is dramatically repunched — the “1881” appears doubled in a highly visible way. Among the most visually striking Morgan varieties and one of the easiest to identify without magnification.
1891-CC VAM-3 (Spitting Eagle): A die gouge in the eagle’s beak area makes it appear the bird is expectorating. One of the most famous and beloved Morgan varieties; immediately recognizable and consistently popular at auction.
1879-S VAM-44 (Donkey Tail): An extended die polish line behind Liberty’s head creates the appearance of a tail. A Top 100 VAM; well-known in the collector community.
1900-O/CC (Overmint Mark): A Carson City mint mark punch was used on New Orleans dies — a transitional relic from mint operations. The O-over-CC is visible under magnification and commands a strong premium.
The authoritative online reference for VAM research is VAMworld.com. The “Top 100 VAMs” and “Hot 50 VAMs” lists are the standard collector checklists for building a VAM set. Attribution is best confirmed by an experienced dealer or through PCGS VarietyPlus or NGC’s variety designation service.
The 1878 First-Year Varieties — A Series Within the Series
The first year of Morgan Dollar production produced one of the most interesting variety puzzles in U.S. coinage. The eagle on the reverse was designed with eight tail feathers — and within months of production, the U.S. Mint changed the design. The result is three distinct 1878 reverses that collectors pursue as a sub-series within the already-broad Morgan Dollar series.
- 8 Tail Feathers (8TF): The original reverse, struck only in 1878. The eagle has a full complement of eight tail feathers. This is the most visually distinct 1878 variety and commands a premium across all grades.
- 7 Tail Feathers, Reverse of 1878 (7TF/78): The modified reverse, introduced mid-year. Features a concave eagle breast and parallel arrow feathers. Used in 1878 only.
- 7 Tail Feathers, Reverse of 1879 (7TF/79): A further refinement — convex eagle breast, slanted arrow feathers. This became the standard reverse design used throughout the rest of the series (1879–1921).
Many collectors pursue one example of each 1878 variety as a set — three coins from a single year that tell the story of the design’s evolution. The 8TF variety is the most sought after and typically trades at a 15–25% premium over the 7TF varieties in equivalent grades.
The 1921 Morgan Dollar — The Final Year
After a 17-year absence, the Morgan Dollar returned in 1921 under unusual circumstances. The Pittman Act of 1918 had authorized the melting of 270 million silver dollars from U.S. Treasury reserves — a wartime measure to supply silver to Britain. By 1921, the law required those dollars to be replaced, and the Morgan design was put back into production to fulfill that obligation.
The 1921 Morgan Dollar is the most heavily produced year of the entire series. More than 86 million coins were struck across three mints — Philadelphia, Denver, and San Francisco. (Carson City had been closed since 1893 and never struck another Morgan.) The sheer volume means 1921 Morgans survive in enormous quantities today. In circulated grades, their value is essentially melt value plus a very small premium. In gem Mint State, they remain relatively affordable compared to earlier dates.
What makes 1921 historically fascinating is that it is the only year two different silver dollar designs were struck simultaneously. The Peace Dollar — which permanently replaced the Morgan design — was also introduced in 1921. For a brief period, both the old Morgan design and the new Peace Dollar design were being produced at the same time. See our complete 1921 Silver Dollar guide for the full story of both coins from that pivotal year.
Buying Morgan Silver Dollars
What to Look For
The single most important thing to assess when buying a Morgan Dollar is whether its surfaces are original. Cleaning is the plague of the Morgan Dollar market — millions of coins have been polished, dipped, or scrubbed over the decades by well-meaning (or careless) owners, and cleaning permanently destroys collector value. A cleaned coin will never be worth what an original-surface coin of the same date and apparent grade would be. It is worth melt. Sometimes less.
How to spot a cleaned coin: look for fine hairline scratches visible under 10x magnification, an unnaturally bright or “white” appearance inconsistent with the coin’s age, and an absence of original mint bloom or toning in the recessed areas of the design. Natural toning — even dark, rainbow, or spotted toning — is desirable in the collector market. Original surfaces in imperfect colors beat artificial brightness every time.
Original “skin” is the collector term for untouched surfaces that have aged naturally. A Morgan Dollar with original skin in VF-30 is more desirable — and more valuable — than a technically VF-30 coin that has been lightly dipped. Once you train your eye to see the difference, you cannot unsee it.
Where to Buy
For common circulated dates, reputable coin dealers and bullion dealers are the most accessible source, and dealer pricing on common Morgans is generally competitive with melt. Major coin shows — particularly ANA (American Numismatic Association) conventions and regional shows — offer the widest selection and the best opportunity to compare grades and prices across multiple dealers in person.
For key dates and high-grade Mint State examples, Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers Galleries are the two leading auction venues. Their realized price archives are the most accurate real-world value reference available — more reliable than any fixed price guide because they reflect what actual buyers paid in actual market conditions.
eBay produces reasonably accurate retail pricing for mid-range circulated coins, but grade claims are unguaranteed and the market is populated with cleaned coins represented as original. Buy raw coins on eBay only if you can assess the photos yourself — or buy only slabbed coins from reputable sellers.
For dealer price comparisons on Morgan Dollars available from major U.S. bullion and coin dealers right now, compare current Morgan Dollar prices.
Selling Morgan Silver Dollars
The selling process depends on what you have. Common circulated dates and key dates require different strategies — and mixing them up is one of the most common (and costly) mistakes sellers make.
Common dates in circulated grades: Any reputable bullion or coin dealer will buy them. Expect 90–95% of current melt value for heavily worn examples; better condition brings correspondingly better offers. eBay consistently produces retail pricing for circulated common dates if you’re willing to photograph, list, and ship — but the difference between dealer and retail prices on a $85 common Morgan often doesn’t justify the platform fees and time. Consider selling a larger accumulation to a dealer as a lot.
Semi-key and key dates: Get multiple offers before accepting any. Dealer spreads on key-date Morgans vary significantly — one dealer’s $2,800 for an 1889-CC in Fine is another dealer’s $3,400. Never sell a key date without shopping it around. Heritage Auctions and Stack’s Bowers Galleries are the highest-visibility venues for coins worth $500 or more; their buyer pools are the deepest in the industry, and realized prices consistently set market benchmarks.
Professional certification before selling: Any coin you believe might grade MS-63 or better, or any key date in any grade above Good, is worth sending to PCGS or NGC before you sell it. Certification protects both buyer and seller, enables confident online sale, and typically increases realized prices by more than the cost of submission.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a Morgan silver dollar worth?
At today’s silver price, every Morgan Dollar contains 0.77344 troy oz of pure silver — a melt value of $56.46. Most common-date circulated Morgans trade at melt plus a modest collector premium: roughly ~$58.40–80.30 in Good through Fine grades at current silver prices. Well-preserved Extremely Fine or About Uncirculated examples command higher premiums. Rare key dates in top grades can reach tens of thousands of dollars or more.
What is the most valuable Morgan silver dollar?
The 1893-S Morgan Dollar, with a mintage of just 100,000 and extremely low survival rates, is generally considered the key date of the series. In Very Fine condition it trades for $5,000–8,000; certified MS-65 examples have brought $500,000 or more at major auction. The 1895 Philadelphia issue — struck as proofs only, with no confirmed business strikes — is also among the rarest and most valuable, with Proof-65 examples reaching $80,000–120,000.
Where is the mint mark on a Morgan dollar?
On the reverse of the coin, above the letters “DO” in DOLLAR, between the eagle’s tail feathers. Coins minted at Philadelphia carry no mint mark. Carson City coins show “CC,” San Francisco shows “S,” New Orleans shows “O,” and Denver shows “D.”
Are Morgan dollars rare?
The series as a whole is not rare — over 650 million were minted across 28 years of production. However, individual dates vary enormously in scarcity. The 1893-S had a mintage of 100,000 and very few survivors; the 1921-P had over 44 million minted and is extremely common. The value of your Morgan Dollar depends entirely on which date and mint mark you have.
What does MS-65 mean for a Morgan dollar?
MS (Mint State) 65 means the coin has never been in circulation and grades as a “Gem” uncirculated example on the 70-point Sheldon grading scale — above-average luster, well struck, with only a few minor contact marks visible to the naked eye. On common dates, MS-65 examples sell for modest premiums. On key dates or semi-key S-mint coins, MS-65 can represent a price that is 10–20 times the MS-63 value for the same coin.
How do I know if my Morgan dollar has been cleaned?
Cleaned coins typically show hairline scratches visible under 10x magnification, an unnaturally bright or uniformly “white” appearance inconsistent with the coin’s age, and a lack of natural toning or mint bloom in the recessed areas of the design. Original toning — even dark or uneven toning — is a positive sign. If a 100-year-old coin looks like it was minted last year, it has likely been cleaned. Cleaning permanently reduces collector value but does not affect the coin’s silver content or melt value.
What’s the difference between a Morgan dollar and a Peace dollar?
Both are 90% silver U.S. dollar coins containing 0.77344 troy oz of pure silver. The Morgan Dollar (1878–1904, 1921) features a helmeted Liberty on the obverse and a heraldic eagle on the reverse, designed by George T. Morgan. The Peace Dollar (1921–1935) features a radiant, Art Deco-style Liberty head designed by sculptor Anthony de Francisci and a perched eagle. The year 1921 is historically unique — both designs were struck simultaneously, making it the only year in which two different silver dollar types were produced at the same time.
Should I clean my Morgan dollar?
No. This is the first rule of coin collecting. Cleaning a Morgan Dollar — even with supposedly gentle methods — permanently destroys the original surface and dramatically reduces its value to any collector. A naturally toned, original-surface coin is always worth more than a bright, cleaned one of equivalent grade. If you are uncertain whether a coin has been cleaned, take it to a reputable coin dealer or submit it to PCGS or NGC for assessment before doing anything to it.
