Q. David Bowers
Business Strikes:
Enabling legislation: Act of February 28, 1878, plus the Sherman Silver Purchase Act of July 14, 1890
Designer: George T. Morgan
Weight and composition: 412.5 grains; .900 silver, .100 copper
Melt-down (silver value) in year minted: $0.67401
Dies prepared: Obverse: Unknown; Reverse: Un-known.
Business strike mintage: 2,744,000; Delivery figures by month: January: 120,000; February: 105,000; March: 140,000; April: 310,000; May: 300,000; June: 149,000; July: 150,000; August: 300,000; September: 300,000; October: 300,000; November: 270,000; December: 300,000.
Estimated quantity melted: Probably hundreds of thousands under the 1918 Pittman Act. Of course, there is no way of knowing how many, if indeed any, of a specific date met their fate in this manner.
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 300 to 500 (URS-10)
Approximate population MS-64: 3,000 to 6,000 (URS-13)
Approximate population MS-63: 15,000 to 30,000 (URS-15)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 40,000 to 80,000 (URS-17)
Approximate population G-4 to AU-58: 150,000 to 300,000 (URS-19)
Availability of prooflike coins: Prooflike coins are very rare, and DMPL coins are exceedingly rare. Most are flatly struck.
Characteristics of striking: Most specimens are very poorly struck with unsatisfactory lustre, However, sharply struck pieces do exist.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: A number of bags were released by the Treasury 1962-1964. A bag with many gem coins, probably from the preceding, was distributed in 1977. A further bag was broken up in Pennsylvania in the late 1980s.
Proofs:
None
Commentary
1892-O dollars are readily available in lower levels of Mint State, but most are poorly struck.