United States 1893-S dollar

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Stack's Bowers 2021 ANA sale, lot 3367
SB821-3367r.jpg
a counterfeit
US 1893S dollar cft rev.jpg

This specimen was lot 3397 in Stack's Bowers ANA sale (Costa Mesa, CA, August 2021), where it sold for $13,200. The catalog description[1] noted,

"1893-S Morgan Silver Dollar. AU Details--Cleaned (PCGS). Here is a particularly desirable About Uncirculated example of this famous key date Morgan dollar issue. Brilliant apart from the lightest pale gold iridescence, both sides retain much of the original mint finish. In fact, it is the finish that makes this coin especially nice for the assigned grade. Both sides are decidedly semi-prooflike with flashes of reflectivity shining forth from the fields as the surfaces dip into a light. Overall sharp, nearly full striking detail further confirms only the briefest stint in active circulation, the certified grade likely to have been AU-55 or AU-58 were it not for the presence of wispy hairlines that explain the PCGS qualifier. An above average example for the grade that is sure to appeal to advanced Morgan dollar enthusiasts. An issue that needs no introduction among specialists, the 1893-S is the rarest circulation strike Morgan dollar. Only 100,000 coins were produced and these suffered an unusually high rate of circulation; indeed, most survivors are heavily worn. About Uncirculated examples are very scarce and their desirability is enhanced by the extreme rarity of the 1893-S in Mint State. For most collectors of high grade Morgan dollars, the present example represents the finest in quality that market availability and budgetary considerations will allow. Sure to see spirited bidding at auction."

This issue from the San Francisco mint is rare. The type was struck 1878-1904 and 1921, with the Carson City mint participating 1878-85 and 1889-93.

Recorded mintage: 100,000.

Specification: 26.73 g, 0.900 fine silver, .773 troy oz ASW, 38.1 mm diameter, reeded edge, designed by George Morgan.

Catalog reference: KM 110.

Sources:

  • Alexander, David T., Coin World Comprehensive Catalog & Encyclopedia of United States Coins, Sidney, OH: Amos Press, 1995.
  • Breen, Walter H., Walter Breen's Complete Encyclopedia of U. S. and Colonial Coins, New York: Doubleday, 1987.
  • Michael, Thomas, and Tracy L. Schmidt, Standard Catalog of World Coins, 1801-1900, 9th ed., Iola, WI: Krause Publications, 2019.
  • Van Allen, Leroy, and A. George Mallis, Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars, 4th Ed., Worldwide Ventures, 1998.
  • Yeoman, R. S., and Kenneth Bressett (ed.), A Guide Book of United States Coins, 65th Ed., Atlanta, GA: Whitman Publishing, 2011.

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