The Philadelphia mint produced 21,726,000 Morgan silver dollars in 1889, making this year the one with the highest number of minted dollars in a period from 1878 to 1904. Thanks to the 1918 Pittman Act and 1942 Silver Act, most of these coins were melted, so they are not so common as you would expect.
In general, you can find this coin in all circulated grades, including extra fine and about uncirculated ones. However, it can be challenging to discover a deeply frosty dollar with a sharp strike. The big question is how to determine the 1889 Morgan silver dollar value. Let’s take a look.
1889 Morgan Silver Dollar History
Like any other Morgan silver dollar, the one minted in 1889 contains 90% silver and 10% copper. Its total weight is 0.8594 troy ounces (26.73 g), including 0.7734 troy ounces (24.05 g) silver. Even though the current silver spot price is $22.41 per 1 troy ounce (31.1 g) and the silver melt value is $17.33, you can get more money for this coin.
1889 Morgan silver dollar |
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| Location | Year | Minted | Value |
| Philadelphia | 1889 | 21,726,000 | $35+ |
| Proof | 1889 | 811 | $3,000+ |
| San Francisco | 1889 S | 700,000 | $75+ |
| New Orleans | 1889 O | 11,875,000 | $35+ |
| Carson City | 1889 CC | 350,000 | $2,000+ |
| Total | 1889 | 34,651,811 | |
Since four mints produced 1889 Morgan silver dollars, you can find all types available on the market that comes from:
- Philadelphia, without a mint mark
- San Francisco, with an S mint mark
- New Orleans, with an O mint mark
- Carson City, with a CC mint mark
You can quickly determine which coin you have in your hand after checking the mint mark presence below the wreath on the reverse dollar side.
Since numerous coins in this series were minted this particular year, their price is not too high on average. As always, it will depend on the condition and possible rare imperfections you can see on their surface.
1889 Morgan Silver Dollar Grading
Most collectors that look for the one-hundred-year-old coins will check their condition first. It is the same with the 1889 Morgan silver dollar.
- Uncirculated – When you look at such a coin, you will see brightly colorful toned luster and the absence of wear and contact marks. These pieces are rare, so they are highly collectible. One 1889 MS 60 Morgan silver dollar can cost about ​$50, while the one in MS 65 grade is worth $200 to $1,350.
- Extra fine – Such a coin spent a limited time in circulation, so it doesn’t show signs of wear and tear besides light scratching on the surface. Such a piece will cost you approximately $33.
- Fine – Coins used in circulation for a while will have clear signs of wear. However, they are still in decent overall condition without heavy damage. Most of those without a mint mark are worth $30 on average.
- Good – It is the lowest grade a coin can get to be considered a collectible piece. Such a coin spent years in circulation and is usually unattractive and heavily damaged, including scratches, while the Lady Liberty contours are faintly visible.
1889 Morgan Silver Dollar Value
1889 Morgan silver dollar without a mint mark
The Philadelphia mint produced 21,726,000 Morgan silver dollars without a mint mark in 1889. In most cases, this coin in average condition will cost $25 to $45 on the current market. Those in uncirculated grades are sometimes highly valuable.
1889 Morgan silver dollar value by USA Coin book |
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| Quality | 1889 | 1889 S | 1889 O | 1889 CC |
| Good | $26 | $47 | $26 | $1,009 |
| Very good | $32 | $53 | $32 | $1,112 |
| Fine | $38 | $63 | $38 | $1,202 |
| Very fine | $44 | $70 | $44 | $1,360 |
| Extra fine | $46 | $86 | $46 | $3,239 |
| About uncirculated | $49 | $123 | $63 | $7,643 |
| Mint state 60 | $59 | $312 | $206 | $26,726 |
| Mint state 65 | $422 | $2,434 | $8,310 | $358,846 |
| Proof 63 | $3,143 | / | / | / |
Keep in mind that the average price doesn’t mean much for Morgans because the condition is everything in this case. In other words, you can get less than $10 for a piece in poor condition or earn about $200 for the one in a mint state.
If you have a proof coin without a mint mark in PR 63 condition, you can expect to get over $3,000 for it. They are moderately rare since only 811 of them were minted in Philadelphia.
1889 S Morgan silver dollar
Since San Francisco minted only 700,000 Morgans in 1889, you might believe that they are pretty rare nowadays. Most collectors also believed that these pieces were on a list of Morgan dollars rarities, but it wasn’t the case in reality.
After the Treasury released new coins from the late 1930s to the 1950s, many uncirculated pieces appeared on the market. Nevertheless, these dollars are still highly desirable in all grades. The coins with excellent luster are usually well struck, so many collectors want them in their collections.
1889 Morgan silver dollar value by JM Bullion |
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| Coin | Quality | |
| Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1889 Morgan dollar | $39 | $41 |
| 1889 S Morgan dollar | $75 | $105 |
| 1889 O Morgan dollar | $39 | $55 |
| 1889 CC Morgan dollar | $3,000 | $7,000 |
This mint didn’t produce proofs, and finding pieces in higher grades can be complicated, but extra fine ones are widely available.
You can find an 1889 MS 64 Morgan silver dollar for $1,120 if you are patient enough. An auction record is $16,450 for ultimate beautiful MS 66+ coin.
1889 O Morgan silver dollar
New Orleans minted 11,875,000 Morgan silver dollars in 1889, and most of them were released into circulation. However, some of these coins were stored in Treasury holdings for years and were released sporadically when necessary.
1889 Morgan silver dollar value by Gainesville coins |
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| Quality | 1889 | 1889 S | 1889 O | 1889 CC |
| Very fine | $35 | $73 | $36 | $1,230 |
| Extra fine | $38 | $94 | $47 | $3,880 |
| About uncirculated | $45 | $128 | $101 | $7,880 |
| Mint state 61 | $59 | $292 | $292 | $22,300 |
| Mint state 63 | $72 | $358 | $390 | $34,600 |
| Mint state 65 | $195 | $1,120 | $2,810 | $288,000 |
| Auction record | $25,300
(MS 68) |
$16,450
(MS 66+) |
$44,650
(MS 66+) |
$881,250
(MS 68) |
You can effortlessly find these coins in lower grades, but finding a sharply struck piece with an attractive luster can be challenging. Those are dollars reminded in a few bags after the Treasury got rid of others in the early 1960s.
As a result, you can find a desirable 1889 MS 63 Morgan silver dollar for $390, but the MS 65 coin will cost you at least $2,800. One MS 66+ Morgan was sold for an impressive $44,650 at an auction.
1888 CC Morgan silver dollar
Morgan silver dollars are widespread and highly popular among collectors. However, one type of all those minted in 1889 is rare and incredibly collectible. Well, only 350,000 Morgans were produced in Carson City, and only in the second half of the year.
Nowadays, their number is lower after more than a hundred years, so all those that survived the last century are pretty expensive. The fact they are rare and a part of favorite America’s coin series dramatically increases their value.
1889 Morgan silver dollar value by CoinStudy |
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| Coin | Quality | |||
| Good | Fine | Extra fine | Uncirculated | |
| 1889 Morgan dollar | $21.25 | $24.71 | $27.52 | $43.22 |
| 1889 S Morgan dollar | $29.21 | $42.69 | $53 | $159 |
| 1889 O Morgan dollar | $21.25 | $24.71 | $27.52 | $168 |
| 1889 CC Morgan dollar | $346 | $494 | $1,925 | Rare |
If you are lucky to find one in extra fine condition, it will probably cost you about $3,500. For comparison, you need to set aside the same amount for one proof coin minted that year.
Even a coin with an 1889 CC mint mark in good condition will cost at least $1,590, but you need to spend a fortune on a piece in mint condition.
Pieces in MS 60 to MS 62 are the most common, while there are small chances to find an 1889 CC MS 65 Morgan silver dollar available on the market.
An average 1889 CC MS 65 Morgan silver dollar is worth more than $280,000, while the most expensive is rare MS 68 piece sold at auction for an impressive $881,250.
Since only a few of these dollars were released into circulation, they are scarce in worn grades. Be careful and always look for a certified piece to avoid one of many counterfeit 1889 CC Morgan silver dollars on the market.
VAM Varieties
There is almost no Morgan silver dollar type without a few coins that have some error because of the imperfect minting process. These VAM varieties are highly desirable among collectors, making them unbelievably expensive. The best known 1889 VAMs include:
- VAM-19A – This coin has a doubled reverse and an atypical die break at the eagle right wing’s top.
- VAM-28A – In this case, you can see a slightly shifted date and an unusual ear doubling.
- VAM-23A – This type is famous because of several crashes on the coin obverse side and an oblique date.
Summary
Buying an 1889 Morgan silver dollar, especially in high grade, are an excellent investment since their price is stable and can only rise over time. The best part is that their value doesn’t depend on the silver price. Even when this precious metal value drops, collectors want to buy this coin as a valuable piece of American history.
