Q. David Bowers
The "World's Greatest Collection" (F.C.C. Boyd Collection) sold by Numismatic Gallery, May 11-12, 1945, included the following Morgan silver dollars. Up to this time, very few collections-even the largest ones-had an Uncirculated 1893-S dollar, which, unlike some of its formerly rare S-Mint cousins, remained elusive.
By the late 1930s, Boyd's interest in the regular American series had flagged, and he had turned his attention and collecting spirit to colonials, tokens, and other numismatic Americana. I hazard the guess that he formed his Morgan dollar collection in the 1920s and early 1930s, and when such issues as 1890-CC and 1891-CC (of which he owned circulated examples) became plentiful on the market later, he did not bother upgrading his set. We know that he had multiple Proof 1879 dollars earlier (cf. his previously cited listings in the May 1930 and February 1935 issues of The Numismatist, for example). Why "The World's Greatest Collection" contained a specimen in only VF is a mystery. Did he sell the Proof from his collection to a client, and fail to replace it? Such things are not important in the overall scheme of things, but are interesting to contemplate.
1878 8 TF. Brilliant Proof $27.50.
1878 8 TF. Unc. $6.50.
1878 Morgan. 7 TF. Brilliant Proof $40.00.
1878 7 TF. Unc. $9.00.
1878-CC Morgan. 7 TF. Unc. $7.50.
1878-S 7 TF. Unc. $2.50.
1879 VF. 1890 VF. (Total: 2 pieces) $2.75.
1879-CC Unc. $10.00.
1879-O Unc. $12.00.
1879-S Barely circulated. $2.00.
1880 Brilliant Proof $11.00.
1880 Unc. $3.00.
1880-CC Unc. $10.00.
1880-O Unc. $10.00.
1880-S Unc. $3.25.
1881 Brilliant Proof $10.00.
1881-CC VF $5.50.
1881-O Brilliant Proof $50.00.
1881-S Unc. $3.00.
1882 Brllliant Proof $8.00.
1882 Unc. $2.55.
1882-CC Unc., lustrous. $5.00.
1882-O VF $4.00.
1882-S Unc. $3.25.
1883 Brilliant Proof $8.50.
1883 Unc. $2.50.
1883-CC Unc. $5.00.
1883-O Unc. $3.50.
1883-S Unc. $5.00.
1884 Brilliant Proof $7.00.
1884 Unc. $6.00.
1884-CC Unc. $5.00.
1884-O Unc. $3.00.
1884-S Unc., dull. $15.00.
1885 Beautiful brilliant Proof, turning purple. $9.00.
1885-CC Unc. $13.00.
1885-O Unc. $6.00.
1885-S About EF, but lightly scratched across face. $7.00.
1886 Beautiful purple Proof $8.00.
1886-O VF $3.50.
1886-S VF $1.50.
1887 Beautiful purple Proof $12.00.
1887-O VF $3.25.
1887-S Unc. $2.55.
1888 Beautiful brilliant Proof, turning purple. $7.50.
1888-O Unc. $13.00.
1888-S Unc. $3.00.
1889 Brilliant Proof $9.00.
1889-CC EF. $5.00.
1889-O VF $7.00.
1889-S Unc. $3.50.
1890 Steel-blue, brilliant Proof $10.00.
1890-CC Barely circulated. $4.00.
1890-O EF. $3.50.
1890-S Unc, $3.00.
1891 Brilliant Proof, turning purple. $9.00.
1891-CC VF $2.00.
1891-O Unc, $15.00.
1891-S VF $2.00.
1892 Beautiful purple Proof $10.00.
1892-CC VF $3.00.
1892-O VF $4.00.
1892-S Unc. gem with prooflike surface; purple and blue tarnish. $25.00.
1893 Brilliant Proof, purple. $10.00.
1893 Unc. $6.50.
1893-CC Unc. $16.00.
1893-S Unc, gem. $75.00.
1894 Brilliant Proof $10.00.
1894 Unc. $5.50
1894-O Unc, $8.00.
1894-S Unc. $15.00.
1895 Brilliant Proof, turning purple. $26.00.
1895-O Unc. $7.50.
1895-S Unc. gem with prooflike surface. $11.00.
1896 Beautiful steel-blue Proof. Slight planchet defect on obverse. $10.00.
1896-O Unc. $11.00.
1896-O Prooflike surface, edge dent. $7.00.
1896-S Unc. $16.00.
1897 Brilliant Proof $15.00.
1897 Unc. $9.00.
1897-O Unc. $10.00.
1897-S Unc. $4.50.
1898 Steel-blue Proof $8.75.
1898 Unc, $9.00.
1898-O Unc. $10.00.
1898-S EF. $2.50.
1899 Beautiful steel-blue Proof $11.00.
1899-O VF $3.00.
1899-S EF. $2.50.
1900 Purple Proof, turning blue. $8.00.
1900-O Unc. $7.00.
1900-S EF, nice lustre. $2.50.
1901 Beautiful steel-blue Proof $9.50.
1901-O Unc. $10.00.
1901-S Unc. $9.00.
1902 Brilliant purple Proof $10.00.
1902-O EF. $6.00.
1902-S Unc. $10.00.
1903 Beautiful steel-blue Proof $20.00.
1903-O Unc. $85.00.
1903-O VF $17.50.
1903-S Unc., reverse is tarnished. Nice lustre. $40.00.
1904 Brilliant, golden Proof $20.00.
1904 Unc. $3.00.
1904-O Beautiful purple and blue. Unc. $12.50.
1904-S VF $3.00.
1921 Unc, $1.75.
1921-D Morgan. Unc. $3.50.
1921-S Unc. $3.50.