1889 Morgan Silver Dollar At A Glance
The 1889 Morgan Silver Dollar was minted in all 4 of the mints operating at the time of its strike. The 1889 Philadelphia (no mint mark) & New Orleans (O mint mark) coins are by far the most common of the date, with 21,276,000 & 11,875,000 circulation strikes respectively. The 1889 Carson City (CC) mint mark coins are one of the great key dates of the Morgan series, with only 350,000 circulation strikes. The 1889 San Francisco (S) mint marked coins are also very low mintage at only 700,000 circulation strikes.
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The 1889 Philadelphia were generally struck indifferently & without much luster, however, the grading services make no mention of luster or strike on Philadelphia mint coins and opportunities for cherry picking exist as a result. Prices range from $15 for VG-8 to $60 for MS64 coins. MS65 coins jump to the $275 & MS66 coins $2500. 811 proofs were struck in Philadelphia for 1889 as well & they will sell in the $750-$5000 range, depending on grade.
The 1889 CC Morgan is the most elusive of the Carson City coins & surpassed in desirability only by the 1893 S at 100,000 strikes. Strikes on these coins are usually very average, & luster varies from shallow & satin like to frosty, with about 25% of the remaining pieces showing some semi-proof like quality. Prices range from $500 ion VG-8 to $50,000 & above on MS64 & higher coins.
The 1889 O has a mintage of 11,875,000 coins but overall the coins were not well struck & you will have to search agressively to find one with a sharp strike. Prooflike coins are seen with some frequency, & often with some cameo contrast. Prices range from $15 in VG-8 to $4750 in MS65.
The 1889 S has a mintage of 700,000 coins, one of the few Morgan Silver Dollars with a mintage under 1 million coins. It is generally a very well struck coin, typically found with excellent luster. Many have prooflike surfaces and typically have good contrast. Prices range from $45 in VG-8 to $500 in MS64 with prices rising significantly in specimens MS65 & above.
