1885 Silver Dollar Learn the Value of This Coin


Uncirculated specimens, particularly those grading MS65 or higher, command substantial premiums. The Carson City (CC) mint coins are especially valuable in high grades due to their low mintage. Morgan silver dollars, including those struck in 1885, have the reputation of being perfectly struck. As such, there aren’t many Morgan silver dollar errors in circulation.

Morgan Silver Dollars for Sale

Coins from U.S. mints that make the lowest number of coins per issue usually become the most expensive as time goes on. This is because scarcer coins are rarer, and therefore more valuable. If you want to know for sure that your 1885 silver dollar is authentic, check if the coin will be attracted to a magnet.

These coins were poorly stored in bags at the minting facility, resulting in many acquiring bag marks. Most 1885-S silver dollars were also highly circulated, making high-grade examples rare. In its circulated condition, an 1885 no-mint mark dollar is worth between $32 and $70. These coins fetch more in their mint state, from $75 for a piece devops engineer job description graded MS60 to $65,000 for gem-quality specimens graded MS69 and above.

No Mint Mark Silver Dollar Value

  • Any silver dollar showing signs of a past cleaning runs the risk of being avoided and ignored by discerning collectors.
  • Proof and prooflike examples of this issue may have greater or lesser “finest known” and different record auction prices.
  • But one of Morgan’s biggest achievements—by which people remember him most—is the Morgan silver dollar, which ran from 1878 to 1921.
  • The proof-strike versions of the 1885 silver dollar will be of a considerably higher quality.
  • Superb gems like coins graded MS67 and MS68 can be sold for around $1,200 and $17,500, respectively.

The New Orleans mint struck an estimated 9 million silver dollars in 1885. Circulated coins, on the other hand, will show unmistakable signs of wear on the high points. The details, high points and fields will be smooth on low-grade circulated examples and slightly more visible as you go up the grading scale. Proof coins with no mint mark are available and they are each valued at around $3,750 in PR 63 condition. This coin in circulated condition is worth at least its weight in silver.

Key Date U.S. Coins

A compromise was reached, and in 1878, the Bland-Allison Act authorized the U.S. Treasury to buy silver bullion worth 2-4 million dollars each month at the prevailing market price. Influential silver miners, looking for an immediate market for their bullion, urged the government to buy silver and produce unlimited coins. But Congress rejected this proposal and omitted silver coins from the authorized legal tender list, leading to a massive protest. Circling the rim of the obverse side of the 1885 silver dollar is the motto of the United States the misbehavior of markets of America, “E Pluribus Unum” at the top and the year “1885” at the bottom.

  • The US Mint destroyed all the coins with errors before they were released into circulation for not meeting the technical requirements.
  • That made it much easier today to collect these rare 1885 CC silver dollars.
  • Since Carson City stuck the least amount of these precious coins, they are very collectible, sought after, and cherished.
  • As a result, the issue saw little attention from collectors until the 1950s.

“O” Mint Mark Silver Dollar Value

The Morgan dollar resulted from the Free Silver coinage movement. The gold rush of the 1850s to 1860s led to the discovery of legacy fx review large silver deposits in the West. Only 4 die pairs of the 1885-CC have been recorded, despite 10 pairs being sent to the Mint. However, many of them were kept in bags for decades, where they ended up rubbing against each other and creating contact marks on each other’s mint-state surfaces.

They are unique and easily distinguishable by the heavy Morgan (Liberty Head). John Saechao is a respected California-based coin collector, known for his diverse and intricate collection. His lifelong passion for numismatics has shaped an impressive portfolio, spanning multiple eras and continents. Celebrated not just for his collection, John is appreciated for his knowledge-sharing, greatly influencing the coin collecting community. This highly collectible coin can be a good investment whether you want to sell or buy a piece.

Learn Precious Metals

Some details might also be missing, and the remaining space on the coin will just be plain metal. Look for well-struck coins with very few scratches or signs of wear and exhibit vivid details. We strongly advise against melting your coin as it will be worth more if you sell it.

Then, in 1921 the coin came back but shortly and completely disappeared afterward. These coins are collectible today and have a high value because of the low number of these coins in circulation. The 1885 Morgan dollar is your typical common date coin of the series. Bobby Avena Bobby is a fixture at all major US coins shows.

Superb gems like coins graded MS67 and MS68 can be sold for around $1,200 and $17,500, respectively. Meanwhile, in the New Orleans Mint, 9 million silver dollars were made in 1885. What’s strange is that many of these coins weren’t put into circulation that year or even that century.

These coins were minted in response to the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which required the Treasury to purchase large amounts of silver and convert it into silver dollars. Prooflike and Deep proof-like examples are accessible in the open market, with prices ranging from $110 to $5,000. Deep-proof like 1885-O silver dollars will fetch up to $12,500 for a PF67 specimen. Grading Morgan silver dollars involves examining the high points on the obverse and reverse for signs of wear. However, if you have an 1885 silver dollar minted in Carson City (look for the “CC” mint mark), all the grades of this coin are very valuable.

So, this coin can be a good investment whether selling or buying. Likewise, the 1885-S silver dollar, minted in San Francisco, will have its “S” mint mark below the bow. The 1885-O silver dollar, minted in New Orleans, has the “O” mint mark in the same place. The 1885-CC silver dollar, minted in Carson City, has a “CC” mint mark located below the wreath’s bow.

If you have doubts about the grading system, here is a simple explanation. All coins are graded from 1 to 70, with 1 being the worst condition and 70 being the perfect or pristine state. Since Carson City stuck the least amount of these precious coins, they are very collectible, sought after, and cherished. The price can skyrocket if the 1885 Morgan silver coin has a high grade and is in excellent condition. You will also notice the mint marks CC( Carlson City), O (New Orlean), and S (San Francisco) just above the D in DOLLAR on the reverse. Learning about the features of the 1885 silver dollar can help you quickly determine if your coin might be valuable.

Carson City struck just shy of 230,000 silver dollars in 1885. It would be the last year this Mint created these coins until production picked up again in 1889. Because these coins are so rare, the CC coins are among the most valuable in the 1885 dollar series—especially in circulated condition.


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