Coin Buying Guide

Morgan silver dollars are one of the more popular investment choices for coin collectors.  They have a strong history of being good for investment, and have continued to sell for good prices over the years.  In addition, collectors agree that Morgan dollars are simply beautiful!

However, there are plenty of fakes out there, and people selling these coins at prices that aren't right.  Unless you know enough about these coins, you could end up taking a loss.  Fortunately, when you're armed with the right information, it's easy to avoid running into a bad buy.

Morgan silver dollars are United States silver dollars minted between 1878 and 1904.  They were also reminted in 1921.  This coin was authorized by the 1878 Bland-Allison Act, and is named because the front and back designs were created by George Morgan. The dollar bears an image of Lady Liberty on the front, and an eagle with the classic olive branch and arrows on the back.

It's graded at a fineness of .900.  This means that a single silver dollar weighs about twenty-four grams, or a little more than three quarters of an ounce, and is almost entirely silver.  These dollars do contain ten percent copper, but the rest is pure silver.

Around a half billion Morgan dollars were minted between 1878 and 1904, but the majority of them never saw circulation.  Almost three quarters of them were melted down before issue.

In fact, the majority of the Morgan dollars available on the market today didn't leave the US Mint until the 1960s.  That means that if you see a Morgan dollar with a high price because it's marked Uncirculated, it's probably not worth it.  The majority of Morgan dollars were never circulated, making this grade very common.

There are differences between individual Morgan dollars, and you'll want to buy the right ones if you're considering them as an investment.  Choose only Morgans made from the highest grade of silver - proofs if you can get them, as they've been performing particularly well in the past decade and a half.

You'll see other grades, too.  MS-65 is a very high grade, but there are some even higher - if you can get them, do so.  While they're more costly than MS-60 through MS-63 grades, they're definitely worth it.  These rarer Morgan silver dollars are considered to be an excellent choice for investors.

You'll need to think about where the grade came from when you buy, as well - not every dealer uses the same standards for grading their coins, and some will even price higher compared to others for the same grade of coin.  Look for dealers using objective and consistent grading standards and who stick to an exacting level of quality when you check out your coin prices.

Once you've decided to buy, remember to pay attention to storage.  These valuable coins should be stored by you, not the dealer.  Keep a safe deposit box or fireproof safe for these important investments.  That'll help you make sure they stay safe and in good hands.  Morgan dollars are a great investment, after all - and unlike stocks, bonds, or other investment vehicles, they're a beautiful one!