I am back with my third coin for my recent purchase from my friend. The prior purchases that I have already shared where the 1858O half dollar, the 1877s quarter and now this nice looking 1880 Morgan silver dollar.
I am typically not a big Morgan Dollar collector, but I'm starting to warm up to them. Part of my problem is everyone seems to love Morgan and Peace dollars and they get really into either getting mint state versions, or they go bonkers with dive variety identification and I just haven't found that passion yet. I am still very much a visual collector and like most of the silver coins that I like, it's typically either condition or patina or both.
There were lots of Morgan's made, especially in this year. The coin facts says there was 12.6 million Morgan's minted in 1880 at the Philadelphia mint. Again these were 90% silver in 10% copper which is why they are some of the best sound money we ever issued. I love the design in that it has symbols of our principles of Liberty and justice and has a nice ego back for that patriotic call. I would much prefer our money go back to having a nice headshot of a woman wearing a cap with a liberty headband then celebrating politicians.
PCGS Photo Grade Morgans
PCGS Coin Facts
VF-35 to XF40?
Using the link for the photo grid I went through and I feel that this might grade either a VF35, or on the generous side it greyed out at a XF 40. I don't have much experience collecting Morgan's so my grading is probably off base. There tends to be things that I overlook with coins that I'm unfamiliar with but I think this is in pretty decent condition but clearly on the mid-tiered level. I think it's worn fairly evenly, nothing is really missing and I can clearly read Liberty with still seeing much of the detail in her hair and flowers.
VF35 to XF40
Looking at the reverse on the photo grid I believe I'm probably a solid VF 35 with a very small chance of getting up to an XF 40. I'm not sure what those more knowledgeable would say, but again I feel like it has the majority of the details that I was trying to compare and really the only wear that I saw was the breastfeathers on the eagle wall most of the rest of the details were still there. The other where spots that I noticed were the top leaves surrounding the eagle with more flat. Feel free to let me know below if you think migrating is off I'll always open to others interpretations and expanding my own knowledge.
I have one more to share from this purchase that I will get to on Wednesday and I look forward to putting days in my collection book. Some of these are bound for the dance coat type book while others of these are bound for 2x2's in my binders.
