Grading the Morgan Dollar

The Morgan dollar (1878-1921) is a large 90% silver coin and a collector favorite. To grade one, look hard at Liberty's cheek for bag marks (it's a big flat area that shows every nick), and check the hair above the ear and the eagle's breast feathers for wear. New Orleans ('O') coins are often softly struck there, which can look like wear but isn't. Morgans are heavily counterfeited, so authenticate first, especially famous dates like 1893-S, 1889-CC, and 1895.

At a glance

Years	1878-1904, 1921 (vintage); 2021 commemorative reissue
Designer	George T. Morgan. Vintage Morgans were struck at Philadelphia (no mintmark), New Orleans ('O'), San Francisco ('S'), Carson City ('CC'), and Denver ('D', 1921 only). The mintmark is on the reverse, below the eagle.
Denomination	One dollar (silver)
Specifications	Vintage: weight 26.73 g (412.5 grains), diameter 38.1 mm. The 2021 reissue is .999 fine silver (~0.858 oz silver) and uses privy marks ('O', 'CC') rather than true mintmarks, since those facilities no longer strike coins.

Composition over time

Period	Composition
1878-1921 (vintage)	90% silver, 10% copper
2021 reissue	.999 fine silver (NOT the vintage 90/10 alloy)

Major subtypes

Subtype	Years
Vintage Morgan Dollar	1878-1904, 1921
2021 Morgan Dollar (100th Anniversary)	2021

Where wear shows first

Obverse: Liberty's cheek, a large open field that readily shows contact/bag marks (a primary grading area)
Obverse: the hair above the ear (luster breaks and wear appear here first)
Reverse: the eagle's breast feathers (high point; wear/flatness shows here first)

Common weak-strike areas

New Orleans ('O') coins are frequently weakly struck (reduced die pressure / wide die spacing): flat hair around the ear and flat eagle breast feathers, with mushy centers
Because the hair-over-ear and breast feathers are both high points AND common weak-strike areas, distinguish mint-made softness from actual wear before grading

Strike designations

Prooflike (PL) and Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) are most associated with Morgan dollars. PCGS: PL = clear reflectivity at 2-4 inches; DMPL = clear field reflection at 6+ inches on both sides. NGC uses PL and DPL (Deep Prooflike) and assesses reflectivity qualitatively. (PCGS = DMPL; NGC = DPL.)

Common problems

Bag marks on the cheek from mint-bag storage and handling (the open cheek field shows them prominently)
Cleaning/hairlines and toning (general grading doctrine; mirror-surface PL/DMPL coins highlight hairlines especially)

Counterfeit & alteration risks

Among the most counterfeited U.S. coins; many modern fakes originate in China and multiple Morgan dates appear on NGC's Top 50 Most Commonly Counterfeited U.S. Coins
1893-S (NGC #10): nearly all fakes are an 'S' mintmark added to a no-mintmark Philadelphia coin
1889-CC (NGC #43): fakes made by gluing on a 'CC' mintmark or joining a genuine 1889 obverse to a CC reverse
1895: the 'King of Morgans'; the 1895 Philadelphia issue is PROOF-ONLY (~880 proofs), so any 'business strike' 1895-P should be treated with extreme suspicion
General techniques: added/glued mintmarks, joined obverse/reverse halves, altered dates and mintmarks

For the advanced grader

Mint State Morgans are separated largely by the number and severity of marks on the cheek and by luster quality; focal cheek marks hurt the grade more than hidden ones. Read the hair-over-ear and breast feathers carefully and decide whether softness is strike (common on O-mint) or true wear. Prooflike/DMPL (NGC: PL/DPL) coins command premiums but their mirrors magnify hairlines. Given pervasive counterfeiting (added mintmarks, joined halves, altered dates), authenticate before grading and remember the 1895-P is proof-only.

Photographic examples

Click any image to enlarge and zoom. Where shown, obverse, reverse, and edge views are of the same coin and year.

Same coin: 1879-S Morgan dollar, graded NGC MS67+

Sources: United States Mint · Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) · Numismatic Guaranty Company (NGC) · Coin World

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