Q. David Bowers
In the May 1958 issue of The Numismatist, Harry Heaps of Philadelphia offered the following Uncir-culated Morgan dollars from the Philadelphia Mint. At the time such coins were available at face value at various banks if you had a friend who was a teller. Dealers such as Heaps bought them from local sources and had a field day selling them to collectors:
1878 Unc. $2.25.
1880 Unc. $2.25.
1881 Unc. $2.25.
1884 Unc. $2.25.
1885 Unc. $2.25.
1886 Unc. $2.50.
1887 Unc. $2.75.
1889 Unc. $1.50.
1890 Unc. $1.50.
1891 Unc. $2.50.
1892 Unc. $3.75.
1893 Unc. $3.75.
1896 Unc. $2.75.
1897 Unc. $2.75.
1898 Unc. $2.75.
1900 Unc. $2.75.
1903 Unc. $2.75.
In the November 1958 issue of The Numismatist; Harry's (Harry Warner), of Mill Valley, California, offered the following Uncirculated rolls (20 coins per roll) for sale, a listing indicative of dates available in quantity on the market at the time.
Silver dollars were "coming out all over," and many different dates and mints were available in quantities. Interestingly, few later specialists who came into the market after the 1962-1964 Treasury releases were ever aware of the large and active mar-ket for Morgan dollars that existed in the second half of the decade of the 1950s.
A handy rule of thumb for calculating which is-sues are relatively rare today in the Morgan dollar series is this: N at released in quantity during the 1950-1960 decade + Not released in quantity during the 1962-1964 Treasury release = Scarce and desirable in Mint State today in most instances.
1878 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1878-CC Unc. $50.00 per roll.
1878-S Unc. $30.00 per roll.
1879 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1879-O Unc. $49.00 per roll.
1879-S Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1880-CC Unc. $67.00 per roll.
1880-O Unc. $49.00 per roll.
1880-S Unc, $25.00 per roll.
1881-CC Unc. $67.00 per roll.
1881-O Unc. $39.00 per roll.
1881-S Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1882-CC Unc. $39.00 per roll.
1882-O Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1882-S Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1883 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1883-CC Unc. $45.00 per roll.
1883-O Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1883-S Unc. $45.00 per roll.
1884 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1884-CC Unc, $39.00 per roll.
1884-O Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1885 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1885-CC Unc. $67.00 per roll.
1885-O Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1885-S Unc. $50.00 per roll
1886 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1887 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1888 Unc. $37.50 per roll.
1889 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1890 Unc. $24.00 per roll.
1890-CC Unc. $60.00 per roll.
1890-S Unc. $26.00 per roll
1891-CC Unc. $60.00 per roll.
1891-S Unc, $39.00 per roll.
1892 Unc, $40.00 per roll.
1893 Unc. $40.00 per roll.
1893-CC Unc, $350.00 per roll.
1894 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1897 Unc. $27.00 per roll.
1897-S Unc. $32.00 per roll.
1898 Unc. $27.00 per roll.
1898-S Unc. $40.00 per roll.
1902-S Unc.$45.00 per roll.
1903 Unc. $29.00 per roll.
1921 Unc. $27.00 per roll.
1921-S Unc, $27.00 per roll.
In the January 1959 issue of The Numismatist, Norman Shultz ran a listing of Morgan dollars. To encourage sales Shultz stated the following:
These are today's best buys when all other coins are very high in price. Many are far older and far rarer than Lincoln cents, but still selling Uncircu-lated for double face. Better buy while the price is still low. These have light mars, as all dollars seem to, but are all carefully selected copies. Maybe a few cents higher, but worth it.
1878 Unc. $2.50.
1878-CC Unc. $4.00.
1878-S Unc. $2.00.
1879 Unc. $2.50.
1879-CC Unc. $25.00.
1879-O Unc. $2.50.
1879-S Unc. $2.00.
1880 Unc. $2.50.
1880-CC Unc. $6.00.
1880-O Unc. $2.50.
1880-S Unc, $2.00.
1881 Unc. $2.50.
1881-CC Unc. $5.00.
1881-O Unc. $2.50.
1881-S Unc. $2.00.
1882 Unc. $2.50.
1882-CC Unc. $3.50.
1882-O Unc. $2.5,0.
1882-S Unc. $2.00.
1883 Unc. $2.50.
1883-CC Unc. $3.50.
1883-O Unc. $2.50.
1884 Unc.$2.50.
1884-CC Unc. $3.50.
1884-O Unc. $2.50.
1885 Unc, $2.50.
1885-CC Unc. $5.00.
1885-O Unc. $2.50.
1885-S Unc. $3.50.
1886 Unc. $2.50.
1887 Unc, $2.50.
1887-O Unc. $2.50.
1887-S Unc.$2.00.
1888 Unc. $2.50.
1888-O Unc.,$2.50.
1888-S Unc. $2.50.
1889 Unc, $2.50.
1889-CC Unc. $95.00.
1889-S Unc. $2.50.
1890 Unc. $2.50.
1890-CC Unc. $3.50.
1890-S Unc. $2.00.
1891 Unc. $2.50.
1891-CC Unc. $3.50.
1891-S Unc. $2.00.
1892-CC Unc. $5.00.
1893-CC Unc. $25.00.
1896 Unc, $3.50.
1897 Unc. $3.50.
1897-S Unc, $2.00.
1898 Unc. $3.50.
1899-S Unc. $2.50.
1900 Unc, $3.50.
1900-S Unc, $2.00.
1901 Unc. $2.50.
1903 Unc, $3.50.
1903-S Unc, $30.00.
1921 Unc, $2.00.
1921-D Unc. $2.00.
1921-S Unc. $2.00.