The 1895 Morgan Silver Dollar

For some time now, the Morgan Silver Dollar has been gaining popularity as a collectible coin. Minted from 1878 to 1904, and then in 1921, the Morgan Dollar has a storied past. The obverse and reverse of the coin were designed by George T. Morgan so it followed that the coin was named the Morgan Dollar. While there are quite a number of Morgan Dollars still available, the 1895 Proof is dubbed the King of the Morgan Dollar in numismatic circles for the simple fact that it is extremely rare.

Let's look at the Morgan Dollar in more detail. On the obverse, there's the left side portrait of Lady Liberty's head with crown and pensive look. If you are observant enough, you will see Mr. Morgan's monogram somewhere near her neck. On top of Lady Liberty's head is the U.S. Motto "E PLURIBUS UNUM" which means "OUT OF MANY, ONE". At the bottom is the year of mintage, flanked by 7 stars on the left and 6 stars on the right, forming a circle with U.S. Motto. On the reverse, there's the bald headed eagle gripping a bunch of arrows and olive branches with its talons, spreading its wings in majestic pose of supremacy. Immediately above the eagle's head, the words "In God We Trust" appear and beneath is a U-shaped wreath. Encircling the eagle, are the words "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "ONE DOLLAR" with two stars separating them. On some Morgans, mintmarks can be seen beneath the wreath and between the "D" and "O" of "DOLLAR".

According to Mint records, there were 12,000 business strikes and 880 proofs of the 1895 Morgan Silver Dollar minted by the Philadelphia Mint. However, nobody has found any of these 12,000 business strikes. The mystery surrounding the disappearance of these Morgans added intrigue to the surviving 1895 proofs. Some experts claimed that the business strikes were melted down or never minted at all. There was also the melting down of some 270 million Morgan Silver Dollars into silver bars as a consequence of the Pittman Act of 1918. It is estimated that only 17% of all minted Morgans have survived. Of the 880 Morgan Proofs, only about 80 have been known to exist, though some claim that there are over 500. One PF-68 specimen of the King of the Morgan Dollars have been sold for more than USD 120,000 and it's normal to see price tags of USD 50,000 or more for this most desirable and rarest of Morgans.

While it's quite unlikely that you will find an 1895 Morgan proof in your silver collection, you can certainly get instant cash for silver if you wish to sell silver. You can find a great silver buyer who will pay the best rates for silver.