Scott's Morgans
1885-S

Owner Comments:

The San Francisco Mint produced a modest number of silver dollars in 1885, just 1,497,000. The date was never considered rare, but its scarcity was certainly known to early 20th century collectors. However, in the late 1940s, during a time of numismatic boom, the price of these coins dropped by nearly 70%. Dave Bowers explains in his Silver Dollar Encyclopedia: "Over the years--since the time of mintage--there had always been a modest supply of Mint State 1885-S dollars on the market; it was never considered to be a rarity. By 1945 the market price had climbed to about $15 per coin. Right after World War II, when the coin market was experiencing a boom, the San Francisco Mint paid out a lot of early Morgan dollars, 1885-S among them. The price dropped to about $5 per coin by 1947."

Today, the typical Mint State Morgan dollar has frosty luster and numerous bagmarks. The strike is generally average at best. The typical surviving example falls in the lowest range of the Mint State grades, MS60 to MS63