During the late 1800s, silver dollars were a popular form of currency in the United States. The 1879 Silver Dollar was one of the coins produced during this time. We’ll learn about the various mints of the 1879 Morgan Dollars and what influences their values in today’s market.

1887 O Morgan Silver Dollar. CoinTrackers.com has estimated the 1887 O Morgan Silver Dollar value at an average of $30, one in certified mint state (MS+) could be worth $1,800. Total Produced: 11,550,000 ?.

History of the 1879 Silver Dollar

The 1879 Silver dollar was created by George T. Morgan. Morgan was the engraver who became famous for designing many popular coins, including the Morgan dollars. The 1879 silver dollar was a result of the Bland-Allison Act.

1. USA Coin Book Estimated Value of 1887-O Morgan Silver Dollar is Worth $35 in Average Condition and can be Worth $83 to $2,828 or more in Uncirculated (MS+) Mint Condition. Click here to Learn How to use Coin Price Charts. Also, click here to Learn About Grading Coins. The Melt Value shown below is how Valuable the Coin's Metal is Worth (bare minimum value of coin).
2. Additional Info: There were 710 of the 1887 Morgan Silver Dollars minted as proofs and they are worth more than 3K each. Numismatic vs Intrinsic Value: This coin in poor condition is still worth $7.32 more than the intrinsic value from silver content of $20.68, this coin is thus more valuable to a collector than to a silver bug.

In the late 1850s, the first major silver discovery in the US, the Comstock Lode, nearly ended the California Gold Rush. This put a lot of pressure on the prices of silver throughout the world.

The Bland-Allison Act was passed in 1878. The act required the Treasury Department to buy large quantities of silver and turn them into coins. To enhance the economy, the treasury chose to make silver dollars.

When George Morgan first came to the United States from England, he was immediately hired as an assistant engraver in 1876. He became very successful at designing coins and designed the 1879 Silver Dollars, among others.

Mintmarks of the 1879 Silver Dollar

The silver dollar that was minted in 1879 consists of 5 mints with 6 variations. Each mint represents a different city. The initials are located below the bow on the backside of the coin or under the tail of the bald eagle right.

The mintmarks are one of the small details that help decide the value of the 1879 Morgan silver dollar. Let’s see what the mintmarks mean.

• If it has no mint mark, it was minted at the Philadelphia mint.

• The letters “CC” means the coin was struck at the Carson Mint. The potential value may be more with this finding.

• If you find an “S” on your coin, it means it was minted at the San Francisco mint.

• An “O” indicates it was struck in New Orleans.

• A “D” mark means it was minted in Colorado.

Values of the 1879 Silver Dollar

Many factors affect the value of the 1879 Silver Dollar today. The condition of the coin, the face value, its rarity, and popularity all influence its value. The minimum going rate seems to be $18 and higher.

Let’s look at the 1879-S coin. Unless you have this San Francisco minted coin in brilliant, uncirculated condition, the value may be $40 or less. A higher grade condition mint state might get you $65. You would want it graded A rare to get top dollar.

The 1879-S has a flat-breasted reverse like the early 1878 varieties. This Reverse of 1878 variety is rare. If it is in uncirculated condition, it is considered very rare, in Proof-like condition. There were 9,110,000 strikes of the 1879-S Silver dollar.

Next, let’s learn about the 1879-O silver dollar. The New Orleans minted coin has similar value details of the San Francisco coin. An 1879-O silver dollar with rich detail will usually sell for more.

There were fewer circulation strikes, at 2,887,000. If you feel you have a high grade of this coin, it is best to get it graded by NGC or PCGS before selling it.

We’ve saved the best for last. If you are a collector, the 1879-CC silver dollar is the most sought after. With good reason too.

1887 Silver Dollar Value O Mint

Less than 2% of all Morgan dollars came from the famed “CC” mint. If you are lucky enough to have an 1879 silver dollar from the Carson City mint, get it graded, no matter what condition it’s in. Its low mintage, as well as its connection to the west, seem to have boosted these in value.

If it’s in mint condition, it can sell for hundreds or even thousands of dollars. Some have sold from $3,500 to $20,000 and ever higher.

There were 756,000 circulation strikes for the 1879 “CC” Silver Dollar. The “CC” is minted under the bow on the reverse side. The mint mark may be heavily rusted – these are known as the “Capped Die” variety.

On these coins, the mint mark appears to be a larger “CC” over a smaller “CC”. These are still popular with collectors.

1879 Schoolgirl Silver Dollar

The 1879 Schoolgirl Silver Dollar is another of George Morgan’s designs. The reeded-edge dollar has Lady Liberty facing left and her hair tied with a ribbon. “LIBERTY” is inscribed in the hair band.

Lady Liberty wears a string of pearls. The date, along with the words “E PLURIBUS UNUM” are separated by the 13 stars.

The backside of the coin has an eagle with its wings raised. The eagle sits on a scroll, while the words “IN GOD WE TRUST” rest above the eagle. Arrows and an olive branch are opposite the scroll.

Now you know what some of your coins may be worth. On any coin, you want to look for signs of wear. You want crisp details on Silver Dollars. You may see a rainbow effect that is known as toning and it does not affect the value.

Condition of your coins is always a factor. Naturally, the better the condition of your coins, the more they are generally worth. Remember old coins do not always spell value as there are a number of factors you need to take into account.

We’ve discussed a few, but to recap, the general appeal of the coin and whether it’s something people are looking for affects the value. There are many old coins that don’t sell for more than $20.

The Silver dollar market is a strong one. The number of coins minted and how many have survived circulation affect the value as does the quality and condition of the coin.

As the most popular dollar series coin ever produced, the Morgan silver dollar has seen great collector following in modern times. Because of government regulations and hoarding, many Morgan dollars can be found in high uncirculated grades.

George T. Morgan was responsible for creating both the obverse and reverse designs of the coin in 1878. This same year, the Morgan Dollar would be put into production and would continue to be produced until 1904. Another short production in 1921 would occur, but the Morgan Dollar would finally be replaced for good later that year.

On the obverse, a bust of Lady Liberty with flowing hair and a cap can be found centered and facing left. Lady Liberty also has the motto “LIBERTY” on the brim of her cap. “E PLURIBUS UNUM” can be found centered at the top of the obverse, and the date is at the bottom.

The reverse features an American bald eagle with outstretched wings and surrounded by a wreath. “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” and “IN GOD WE TRUST” are found above the eagle. The denomination of the coin, “ONE DOLLAR,” is found directly below the eagle.

History of the 1887 Morgan Silver Dollar

Morgan silver dollars tended to have increased mintage figures each year that the coin was in production. Many later-year dates tend to have much higher mintage numbers than earlier examples.

The United States Mint in Philadelphia reports striking a total of 20,290,000 Morgan silver dollars dated in 1887. Other mints struck Morgan silver dollars in 1887 but at much lower mintages. This article will focus only on the Philadelphia examples.

All Morgan dollars were composed of the same mix of metals, which was 90% silver and 10% copper. Each coin weighs 26.73 grams and has a diameter of 38.1 inches. Reeding can be found on the edges, and denticles are present on the obverse and reverse of the coin.

1887 Morgan Silver Dollar Varieties

A large amount of collectors are now exploring and collecting Morgan silver dollars that exhibit known striking and mint errors, which are called VAMs. The 1887 Morgan silver dollar gives collectors many different VAMs to chase after as many different mintage errors happened over the course of production.

Some VAMs are more recognized and worth more than others. In this section, only those VAMs that are recognized by top-tier third-party grading companies will be included.

1887 Silver Dollar Ebay

Here are some of the most known and sought after 1887 Morgan Silver Dollar VAMs:

1887 O Morgan Silver Dollar

• VAM 1B Clashed E Reverse: This variety shows an almost full “E” under the Eagle’s tail feathers. This variety can be confirmed by looking for a die crack that runs through the entire date. Many collectors actively seek out this variety, and it is one of the most popular in the entire Morgan dollar series.
• VAM 2 7/6 Overdate: A simple and sometimes hard-to-identify VAM that shows part of the “6” from “1886” underneath the “7” in “1887.” Identification can be tough, but the premium for this variety is very high.
• VAM 5 Double Date: Like any other doubled date error, this one is exactly the same. Doubling can be most easily seen on the last two digits in the date. Depending on the severity of the doubling, this variety can be hard to identify.
• VAM 12 Alligator Eye: A very unique VAM with an even more unique name! The front edge of Liberty’s eye is visibly doubled and looks like an alligator’s eye. Small amounts of doubling can also be seen on the word “LIBERTY” on Liberty’s cap.

Pricing the 1887 Morgan Silver Dollar

Many examples of the 1887 Morgan silver dollar survive today, and most can be found in very high grades. Even those in the lowest grades are always worth their value in silver (which is, as of this writing, $12.50).

Examples between Good 4 and Fine 12 have a price that is between $20 and $30. A grade of Very Fine 20 has an associated price of $36, and even a significant increase to Extremely Fine 40 sees only a marginal price increase.

Uncirculated examples are common and can be found online and in shops for relatively low prices. MS-60 examples are normally priced at $45, and MS-63 graded coins get a price increase to $65. A real jump to MS-65 is when the price also increases significantly to $145.

1887 Morgan Silver Dollar Uncirculated

Even in a very high grade for Morgan silver dollars, MS-67 only realizes a price of $1,650. This is significantly lower than most other Morgan dollar years!

1887 Silver Dollar Value Today

Only one 1887 Morgan silver dollar has been graded MS-68 by PCGS and sold back in 2009 for a total of $21,275. This coin is now valued today at approximately $30,000!