Q. David Bowers
In the April 1955 issue of The Numismatist, Harry C. Mathews, Jersey City, New Jersey, offered these Uncirculated Morgan dollars for sale. Mathews, who at one time was associated with Henry Christensen and Bob McAusland, was a well-liked dealer who was prominent on the scene relatively briefly, during the 1950s.
1878 7 TF. Unc. $2.00.
1878-CC Une. $2.50.
1878-S Unc. $2.00.
1879 Unc, $2.25.
1879-CC Unc. $7.50.
1879-S Unc. $2.00.
1880 Unc. $2.25.
1880-S Unc, $2.25.
1881 Unc. $2.25.
1881-O Unc. $5.00.
1881-S Unc. $2.25.
1882 Unc. $2.25.
1882-CC Unc. $5.75.
1882-O Unc. $5.00,
1883 Unc. $2.25.
1883-S Unc. $2.50.
1884-CC Unc. $5.00.
1885 Unc. $4.00.
1885-CC Unc. $15.00.
1885-O Unc. $4.00.
1885-S Unc. $2.50.
1886 Unc. $4.00.
1886-S Unc. $2.50.
1887-S Unc. $2.00.
1888-O Unc. $7.50.
1888-S Unc. $2.50.
1889 Unc. $4.00,
1889-S Unc. $3.00.
1890 Unc. $2.50,
1890-S Unc. $2.00,
1891 Unc. $4.00.
1891-CC Unc. $3.00.
1891-S Unc. $2.00.
1892 Unc $3.00.
1892-CC Unc. $5.00.
1893 Unc. $10,00.
1893-O Unc. $10.00.
1894 Unc. $7.50.
1894-O Unc. $5.00.
1894-S Unc. $3.00.
1897-O Unc. $5.00.
1897-S Unc. $2,00.
1898 Unc. $3,00.
1898-S Unc. $3.00.
1899-O Unc. $5.00,
1899-S Unc. $4.00.
1900 Unc. $3.00.
1900-O Unc. $3.00.
In the April 1955 issue of The Numismatist, Klondyke (sic) Coin Exchange (Irving Davidoff), of-fered the following Uncirculated 20-coin rolls of Morgan dollars. Davidoff was a very active trader and transacted mainly wholesale, with other dealers being his primary clientele. The dates listed below are those that he had available in quantity, probably by the bag.
The 1878-CC dollar was common on the market in the mid- and late 1950s, and was Widely stocked just before other CC dates came out in quantity. Later, during the 1962-1964 Treasury release, there were not as many 1878-CC coins as might be expected; most had already been paid out.
1878 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1878-CC Unc. $35.00 per roll.
1878-S Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1880 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1881 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1882 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1883 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1886 Unc. $30.00 per roll.
1889 Unc. $30.00 per roll.
1890 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
1900 Unc. $25.00 per roll.
In the May 1955 issue of The Numismatist carried the following advertisement by W.E. Johnson, Santa Barbara, California, which reflects not only the prices of Morgan dollars in various grades from VG onward, but the fact that at the time a differentiation in the quality of Uncirculated pieces continued to be made by certain dealers, with Johnson having three levels. As recently as the preceding March-just two months earlier-coins from the same inventory were described in just one Uncirculated category.
The advertising of silver dollars was beginning to become a game around this time, and various dealers who offered "Uncirculated" coins below the market (this comment is general, not in relation to Johnson) usually delivered "sliders," a grade that would later be known as AU. There were no published grading standards in effect, and quality varied widely.
As was the case earlier, and as has been the case since, shoppers for "bargains" in Uncirculated silver dollars virtually always got AU or bottom-of-the-barreldoggy, bagmarked coins, with which the buyers were content until they wanted to sell their collections; then, few were interested. If there is one admonition to remember in the silver dollar market, it is that two coins can be advertised in exactly the same grade and be widely different in actual quality.