PARRIS ISLAND COINS » 1890 Silver Dollar Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

1890 Silver Dollar Value: How Much Is It Worth Today?

1890 Silver Dollar Value

Are you wondering what the 1890 silver dollar value is? Or are you looking to add this coin to your collection? There are a few different kinds of these Morgan silver dollars. The different variations of the coin all can have different values. It’s therefore important to know the details of what makes your coin worth more or less. Generally, the 1890 silver dollar value is relatively high compared to other coins.

1890 Silver Dollar Value Chart

Varieties Good Fine Extremely Fine Uncirculated
1890 Silver Dollar Value $21.80 $25 $45 $70 (MS70)
1890 CC Silver Dollar Value $106 $128 $260 $500 – $700 (MS60)
1890 O Silver Dollar Value $21.75 $25.30 $45 $90  (MS 60)

$1000+ (MS65)

1890 S Silver Dollar Value $21.75 $25.30 $45 $60 (MS 60)

$900+ (MS 65)

The 1890s coin is called the Morgan silver dollar. George T Morgan was the designer and engraver of his coin and has had the coin type named after him. Close to 40 million of these Morgan silver dollars were produced in 5 different mints around the United States.

The 1890 silver dollar value is indeed quite significant. The silver within the coin itself has a value of between $17-18. This makes coins with a lower MS grading somewhat valuable.

We can compare the value of this coin to other historical coins, whose value barely exceeds its face value. This alone makes the 1890 Morgan dollar desirable for many collectors. The scarcity of higher grades and proof-like makes their monetary value increase dramatically. Some proof-like Morgan silver dollars can reach a value of $40.000.

The condition behind these coins will determine how much an individual coin is worth. The value of these coins can be highly flexible. However, generally, they’re all extremely valuable. A few hundred dollars for a coin in decent condition is good. The further up in the grading scale you get, the higher the value will be.

While there are no proofs in this series, some well-preserved coins will be proof-like. These can reach a worth of over $40.000.

1890 Silver Dollar No Mint Mark

1890 Silver Dollar No Mint Mark
Credit: usacoinbook

This coin variety was produced in Philadelphia, the main mint. With close to 17 million produced, this is by far the most common type you’ll encounter. Despite its quantity, and being produced in the main location without a mint mark, this coin is still rather valuable compared to many other coins.

Its composition is 90% silver and 10% copper.

The Morgan Silver Dollar is one of the most popular coins in US history. Its extravagant redesign (especially the reverse) has made it a special coin. It’s sought after by coin collectors in the United States, but also worldwide.

This is how even the fundamental coin from Philadelphia without a mint mark can remain valuable. One coin, in various conditions, can range from $21 to $70. If it’s uncirculated and contains rarities, its value can exceed $500 or $1000.

Another thing that sets this coin series apart from other coins, is the fact that 5 different mints produced this coin, which is highly unusual. The mints used were located in Philadelphia, Denver, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Carson City.

The obverse of the 1890 silver dollar coin features a left-facing Lady Liberty. She is wearing a laurel wreath which represents victory and achievement. The laurel wreath sits on top of her long curls that extend to the back of her neck.

And just by the neck is a small “M” engraved, for Morgan. This is not to be confused it is a mink mark which is a letter representing where the coin was struck. Coins without a mink mark of often struck in Philadelphia, as that’s the main mint location.

Lady Liberty is surrounded by stars as well as the Latin phrase for “out of many, one” which reads Pluribus Unum. Underneath her, close to the bottom rim, is also the date of the coin’s production.

Another typical symbol for the United States is featured on the reverse, or tail side, of the coin: the bald eagle. The laurel wreath is featured here, too. This time it surrounds the eagle, which has its wings spread while grasping arrows with the feet.

The eagle appears majestic with the words “in God we Trust” inscribed on top of its head, and between the spread wings. It’s worth noting that the font used for these words is different from the font used on the rest of the coin. The phrase “In God we trust” is in a gothic style.

The entire outer rim has writings on it. It reads “United States of America” and “One Dollar”. Potential mint marks also appear on the reverse.

It’s important to note that many different dies were used in the 1890 silver dollar production. In Carson City alone, 16 different dies were used to strike coins. This has resulted in a large variety of coins, many of which are extremely rare.

1890 CC Silver Dollar Value

1890 CC Silver Dollar Value

The Morgan Silver dollar produced in Carson City is one of the most popular types of this particular coin. The CC Silver dollar is rarer than the proof. A small quantity of them was made. Only 2,309,041 of them were minted in Carson City.

This makes this particular coin even more valuable: The low quantity is produced in an unusual mint, 90% silver, and a rare mint mark.

The fact that a public coin, like the 1890 CC Silver Dollar is so scarce has made it extremely popular and valuable in the eyes of collectors.

Carson City’s mint mark can be found on the reverse. The letters “CC” are inscribed right above the D and O (in the word “Dollar”) and right underneath the laurel wreath.

A fairly decent MS Grading can make one a single Morgan Silver Dollar worth over $1000. The better the grading, the higher its monetary value will be. Extremely rare cases of uncirculated CC silver dollars have reached several thousands of dollars.

Even if you have a Morgan CC dollar in “good” condition, or slightly above that, its value is in the hundreds.

1890 O Silver Dollar Value

1890 O Silver Dollar ValueThe  1890 New Orleans silver dollar once stood at 10 Million strong. As the years go by more and more coins disappear. Many of these coins have been melted down for their silver in the late 1970s. Today, the 1890 O Silver dollar value is similar to the version with no mint mark, at least in the lower gradings.

A well-preserved and uncirculated Morgan O silver dollar can easily be worth $1100, which is generally more than the no-mint mark coin. The smaller quantity of the 1890 O silver dollar will be more noticeable as we reach extreme conditions, and its value can dramatically increase.

The 1890 silver dollar can reach a value of $8000 in rare conditions.

Regardless of monetary value, a coin with unusual mint marks is often sought after by collectors – especially beginners who are looking to start their collection.

1890 S Silver Dollar Value

1890 S Silver Dollar Value

As mentioned above, the proof coins are created for collectors, not the general public. This means a little more effort goes into their production. They take longer to make but the result is much better.

Unfortunately, there are no 1890 Silver dollars. But, some coins in this series, especially the “S” min marks, can be as valuable as what would’ve been the proof.

8,230,373 of these 1890 S silver were ever made.

The level of detail on a well-stuck proof-like is what people pay for. Since they’re not meant for public circulation, they avoid that wear and tear.

These coins have a value of $50 – $60. However, uncirculated ones in excellent condition with details intact are easily worth $1000 and beyond.

The 1890 Silver Dollar was designed and engraved by renowned Geroge T Morgan. He started designing the silver dollar in 1878. This was also the first year of the Bland-Allison Act.

This act sought to effectively bring back the silver dollar as legal tender in the United States. The act, which was also called “The Grand Bland Plan of 1890”, was requiring the US Treasury to purchase an amount of silver and use it as silver dollars and put it into circulation.

The sitting president of 1878, Rutherford B Hayes tried to veto the bill. However, congress overrode his veto. On February 28, the law could be enacted. The monthly spending by the Treasury from buying silver from western mines was between $2 – $4 million.

In the year 1890, a new law regarding silver was introduced. This time it was the Sherman Silver Purchase Act. This new act introduced modifications to the Bland-Allison law. For example, not all silver needed to go to producing silver dollars anymore. This is a significant change, especially for the miners and farmers.

1890 Silver Dollar Value Grading

The grading process is done by looking at the overall quality of the coin in question. The more a coin’s been circulated, the fewer details will remain on the obverse and reverse. This greatly diminishes the coin’s value.

In a “good” condition, the 1890 Morgan Silver Dollar shows clear signs of circulation. Lady Liberty herself has almost become an outline with no clear does or eye details left.

Some curls are still visible, but for the most part, the hair has lumped together.

When the Morgan coin is graded “fine”, the obverse has a lot more detailed work on it. However, the hair above her forehead may be slightly smudged. The ear may also lack some detail, but the neck curls are clearly defined. As is her headband with the word “liberty” on it.

The extremely fine condition shows only minor signs of wear on the design. The details are clear, with only a small sense of “roundness” from the smudging on Lady Liberty’s face.

Uncirculated conditions were never used in monetary commerce transactions. These have all their details intact. The tone of the coin may be altered, due to the natural processes of silver and oxygen. The texture of the surface is almost as if it were new.

Rare 1890 Silver Dollar Error List

There are a few errors that are common when striking coins. These are issues with the die or the planchet, for example. Small errors make for interesting details on the coin, and it makes the coin unique. This is highly valuable among coin collectors.

Here are some of the errors on the 1890 Morgan silver dollar.

1890 Silver Dollar Off-Center Strike

1890 Silver Dollar Off-Center Strike
Credit: VAMWorld

This error is quite rare, which makes them more valuable. The off-center striking error occurs, as the name suggests when the die misses the center of the planchet during the minting process. This causes the image on the obverse or the reverse to be slightly off-center.

1890 Morgan silver dollar error has been sold for $5000 in auctions.

1890 Silver Dollar Die-breaks

1890 Silver Dollar Die-breaks
Credit: coins.ha

When the striking process is intense and large quantities need to be produced the die can sometimes break during the process of minting.

When this happens, it creates cracks in the die which are filled with metal. These metal-filled cracks make the surface of the die uneven. Upon striking it will leave unwanted marks on the design.

These marks make the coin more valuable due to its uniqueness.

1890 Silver Dollar FAQ

What makes an 1890 silver dollar valuable?

The scarcity of the variety of the coin and the condition it’s in. The fewer coins there are of that type, the less valuable it’ll be, generally. Errors that occur during the minting process can make one coin unique and much more valuable.

How much is an 1890 silver dollar worth with no mint mark?

The value of this particular coin is around $21-$22 if the coin is in “good” condition. The silver alone in a Morgan Silver dollar is worth about $17. A higher MS grading will increase the value of the coin. Some reach a value of thousands of dollars.

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