Q. David Bowers
Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: As earlier, plus Act of Febru-ary 28, 1878
Designer: George T. Morgan
Weight and composition: 412.5 grains; .900 silver, .100 copper
Melt-down (silver value) in year minted: $0.724 Number sent to the Assay Commission: 5,938
Dies prepared: Obverse: probably 50+; Reverse: probably 50+
Business strike mintage: 11,875,000; Delivery fig-ures by month: January: l,000,000; February: 1,000,000; March: 1,000,000; April: 1,100,000; May: 1,100,000; June: 1,100,000; July: 500,000; August: 975,000; September: 1,000,000; October: 1,000,000; November: 1,000,000; December: 1,000,000.
Estimated quantity melted: Probably millions under the 1918 Pittman Act.
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 400 to 800 (URS-) 10
Approximate population MS-64: 2,500 to 5,000 (URS-13)
Approximate population MS-63: 10,000 to 15,000 (URS-15)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 30,000 to 50,000 (URS-16)
Approximate population G-4 to AU-58: 300,000 to 600,000 (URS-20)
Availability ofprooflike coins: Prooflike coins are elusive. When seen they are usually well struck and are cameo DMPL specimens, but are in grades below MS-65.
Characteristics of striking: Most non-prooflike coins are weakly struck with unsatisfactory lustre.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: An estimated 5,000-10,000 coins in bags came on the market in the 1960s and 1970s, plus many others not re-ported by dealers.
Proofs:
None
Commentary
The 1889-O is relatively plentiful in MS-60 and other lower Mint State grades but is very elusive at the MS-65 level