Q. David Bowers
NGC and PCGS MS-64: Analysis
Below are the combined totals of Morgan silver dollars in MS-64 grade, in order from the commonest to the rarest, as reflected by the number of certified by NGC and PCGS as of September 1992. The 1892-S, 1893-S, and 1901 are the rarest certified coins at the MS-64 level.
1881-S: 42,702 (Most common certified Morgan dollar at this grade level)
1880-S: 24,090
1885-O: 21,287
1887: 20,227
1884-O: 18,245
1879-S Third Rev. (Rev. of '79): 16,589
1886: 15,666
1904-O: 14,614
1882-S: 14,075
1883-O: 10,692
1898-O: 10,532
1885: 8,475
1899-O: 8,122
1902-O: 6,209
1900-O: 6,208
1921: 6,067
1884-CC: 5,783
1883-CC: 5,665
1888: 5,005
1878-S : 4,938
1900: 4,888
1896: 4,409
1883: 4,357
1901-O: 3,962
1882-CC: 3,857
1889: 2,930
1881-CC: 2,710
1903: 2,631
1885-CC: 2,500
1898: 2,473
1921-D: 2,420
1884: 2,390
1888-O: 2,380
1897: 2,084
1882-O: 1,944
1903-O: 1,930
1878-CC: 1,909
1882: 1,888
1880-CC: 1,613
1897-S: 1,596
1879: 1,477
1880: 1,448
1881-O: 1,318
1881: 1,284
1899: 1,187
1902: 1,135
1890-O: 1,123
1921-S: 1,048
1878-7 TF. Rev. of '78: 1,030
1890:997
1890-S: 994
1900-O/CC: 780
1878 8 TF: 753
1885-S: 721
1891-CC: 711
1889-S: 679 .
1878 7/0ther TF: 625
1891-S: 606
1900-S: 582
1892-O: 546
1879-O:539
1887-O:497
1887-S: 464
1889-O: 427
1902-S: 419
1899-S: 416
1890-CC: 413
1878 7 TF. Rev. of 79: 410
1888-S: 395
1886-S: 388
1891:381
1904:357
1892-CC: 355
1892:350
1891-O: 347
1898-S: 347
1901-S: 334
1880-O: 311
1880-CC Rev. of '78: 295
1893:284
1894-S: 199
1904-S: 167
1879-CC: 135
1883-S: 135
1879-S Second Rev. (Rev. of '78): 134
1896-S: 119
1903-S: 105
1895-S: 103
1893-CC: 76
1887/6: 69
1894-O: 65
1894:58
1879-CC Large CC over Small CC: 46
1886-O:34
1882-O/S: 29
1893-O: 17
1895-O: 11
1896-O: 11
1884-S: 10
1889-CC: 9
1897-O: 7
1887/6-O: 5
1901:5
1892-S: 4
1893-S: 2