Q. David Bowers
An important and fascinating era of American history carne to an abrupt end. The Carson City Mint had been established just 23 years earlier to receive deposits from miners in the once-rich Comstock Lode region. Now the mines were nearly drained and silver prices were depressed. The population scattered leaving many ghost towns behind.
In June 1893, the last silver dollars were produced at the Carson City Mint. Of the 677,000 dollars struck there during those first six months of 1893, many were shoddily produced. They tended to be flatly struck showing little detail and most were heavily bagmarked, The bagmarks were undoubtedly caused by the rapid movement and shipment of the coins at the time of the mint's closing.
The LaVere Redfield Collection of Silver Dollars contained only a small number of 1893-CC's and we have selected the finest MS-60 and MS-65 examples of this rare date to offer you.
Coins graded as MS-60 were offered for $725.00 each (slightly more on time payments) and in MS-65 grade for $1,150.00 (slightly more on time payments).
Note: These grades, especially MS-65, cannot be compared with the MS-65 we know today-in 1978 grading was not consistent.
In the June 1978 issue of The Numismatist, Paramount International Coin Corporation, which had scored a sales coup with earlier offerings of 1895-S and 1893-CC dollars from the Redfield estate, presented additional coins in a two-page advertisement:
Mint State-60 Silver Dollars from the LaVere Redfield Collection:
Silver dollars have been the most popular coins with collectors for many years, but in the last six months their popularity has grown even more. With the demand for quality dollars at an all-time high, prices have been steadily rising. For many years, Some collectors have had the opinion that prices for dollars were artificially high and would drop. Obviously, the demand is real and prices have not dropped. As always, we guarantee your complete satisfaction with our unique six month money back guarantee. Only Paramount, the world's largest dealer of silver dollars for collectors, has such a guarantee of satisfaction.
The following silver dollars were available.
1886-S MS-60 $150.00.
1887-S MS-60 $55.00.
1888-S MS-60 $150.00.
1889-S MS-60$125.00.
1890-S MS-60 $45.00.
1891-S MS-60 $49.00.
1892-CC MS-60 $250.00.
1893-CC MS-60 $750.00.
1897 MS-60 $16.00.
1897-S MS-60 $55.00.
1898-S MS-60 $150.00.
1902-S MS-60 $295.00.
The Bowers and Ruddy Galleries sale of the Garrett Collection (The Johns Hopkins University), March 26-27, 1980, included these several Morgan dollars.
1878 8 TF. Choice Br. Proof $27,500.00.
1878 7 TF. Choice Proof. Just a suggestion of light golden and iridescent toning. $21,000.00.
1878-CC AU-50. Obverse toned golden and iridescent blue. Reverse is mostly mottled gray, $200.00.
1879-CC Choice AU.55.Nearly complete original mint lustre. Light gray with medium to heavy mottled golden toning with some traces of blue iridescence, particularly around the obverse border. $1,000.00.
1893-CC Choice Unc., MS-67, with full prooflike surface on obverse and reverse. $30,000.00.
1921 Morgan. Choice BU, MS-65 or finer. Prooflike surface on the obverse and reverse. A small die scratch on the obverse. Horizontal die file marks are evident within the rib-bon bows. $2,600.00.
1921-D Morgan. MS-65, Choice Unc, The obverse is mostly brilliant with light gray toning. The reverse is toned a medium mottled gray. $550.00.
1921-S Morgan. MS-65, Choice Unc. Obverse and reverse mostly brilliant, just beginning to tone a light lilac hue. $850.00.
Stack's sale of the Amon G. Carter, Jr. Family Collection, January 18-21, 1984, included the following Morgan dollars. Among them were several acknowledged true branch mint Proofs.
1878 8 Tail Feathers. Choice Br. Proof. Russet toning about the edges. Only 500 were coined. Rare. $3,740.00.
1878 7 over 8 Tail Feathers. Choice Br. Unc. and wholly prooflike. Light bagmarks in the field. $770.00.
1878 7 TF. Second Reverse, with the concave breast. Br. Proof. The obverse somewhat dulled, the reverse fully two-tone. Rare. $3,300.00.
1878-CC Br. Unc., frosty mint bloom. Well struck, with the usual light bagmarks. $209.00.
1878-S Choice Hr: Unc, and wholly proof1ike. Delicate golden russet toning. $440.00.
1879 Br. Proof. A two-tone example, with but a few light hairlines. $1,540.00.
1879-CC The normal mintmark. Br, Unc. and prooflike. A splendid example but for a piece of "slag" at the forehead. The obverse bright, the reverse a kaleidoscope of color. $1,045.00.
1879-O Choice Br. Unc. A lovely satiny specimen. $528.00.
1879-S Second Reverse. Choice Br. Unc., only very light bagmarks. Very Scarce in this condition.$440.00.
1880 Br. Proof. A very attractive two-tone specimen with lovely peripheral toning. $3,080.00.
1880-CC over a low 7. Third Reverse. Choice Br. Unc. Exquisite russet-coppery iridescent toning. $577.50.
1880-O Br. Unc., slightly proot1ike. Fairly scarce. $198.00.
1880-S Choice Br. Unc., in fact, only a small reverse rim nick from the gem category. $176.00.
1881 Br. Proof. Sharply struck and really attractive. Pale mottled russet toning. $2,420.00.
1881-CC Gem Br. Unc. Satiny and partially prooflike. Magnificent pale russet toning. $1,045.00.
1881-O Choice Br. Unc. Light bagmarks, but a far above average example of this date. $82.50.
1881-S Gem Br. Unc. Lovely satiny surfaces. $286.00.
1882 Br. Proof. Boldly two-tone in appearance. A few hairlines but the overall look is lovely. $3,080.00.
1882-CC Choice Br. Unc. Satiny 'surface with pale russet toning. $242.00.
1882-CC "Railroad edge." Half the edge has reeding, the other half higher and plain. EF and very scarce. $495.00.
1882-O Br. Unc. A proot1ike example with the usual light bagmarks so magnified by this type of surface. $82.50.
1882-S Choice Br. Unc. A virtual gem with a curious band of russet toning on either side. $187.00.
1883 Br. Proof. Sharply struck, with pale mottled iridescent toning. $2,530.00. .
1883-CC Choice Br. Unc. A splendid satiny example with prooflike surface. Breen indicated that this could be a branch mint Proof but never verified it. $550.00.
1883-O Br. Unc. and proot1ike. A choice specimen with a number of small bagmarks. One of the coins Breen reported that might be a branch mint Proof. $495.00.
1883-S Br. Unc. and prooflike, Light bagmarks but overall one of the nicest to reach the market in quite sometime. Wayne Miller, in his book, The Morgan and Peace Dollar, published recently, gives the 1883-S in prooflike a Rarity-10 rating. Lovely peripheral toning and overall a very nice strike. $2,200.00.
1884 Br. Proof. A two-tone example, boldly struck. $2,970.00.
1884-CC Br. Unc. and wholly prooflike. The fields are bagmarked, but the coin is dazzling. $352.00.
1884-O Choice Br. Unc, A prooflike example, nearly in the gem category. $1,045.00.
1884-O Another. Br. Unc, and prooflike. Nearly as nice as the preceding. $495.00.
1884-S Choice Br. Unc, Just some slight hairlines at the neck. A lovely satiny example, virtually free from bagmarks, Superb russet and iridescent toning. Rarity-11 in this condition. $6,050.00.
1885 Br. Proof. A nice example but lacking a full mirror surface. No doubt dipped to remove heavy toning. $1,540.00.
1885-CC Choice Br. Unc, and prooflike. An exceptional two-tone example with minimal bagmarks. A rare coin thus. $825.00.
1885-O Br. Unc, and prooflike. Deep iridescent toning. $231.00.
1885-S Choice Br. Unc., satiny with pale golden toning. $506.00.
1885-S Another. Choice Br. Unc, and very nearly as nice. $550.00.
1886 Br. Proof, light hairlines. Iridescent toning about its periphery. $1,155.00.
1886-O Choice Br. Unc, Satiny and prooflike surface with even slate gray toning. A beautiful coin, nearly in the gem category. This was one of the magnificent coins shown to Wayne Miller at the 1976 ANA Convention and one that he never forgot. $6,600.00.
1886-O Another. Choice Br. Unc, Frosty mint lustre, iridescent about the periphery. $715.00.
1886-O A third. Br. Unc. and frosty. $550.00.