Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States - A Complete Encyclopedia
Q. David Bowers
1884-O Morgan: Market Values
1884-0 Morgan: Summary of Characteristics
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: $0.85904
Dies prepared: Obverse: 20; Reverse: 20 (Walter H. Breen suggests more, possibly 40 pairs, were made)
Business strike mintage: 9,730,000; Coinage figures (by months; incomplete): January - June: not known; July: 750,000; August: 750,000; Septem-ber: 800,000; October: 850,000; November: 850,000; December: 850,000.
Estimated quantity melted: Unknown, but probably over a million under the 1918 Pittman Act, etc. Many were melted in the 1970s when silver bul-lion prices increased.
Approximate population MS-65 or better: 60,000 to 100,000 (URS-17)
Approximate population MS-64: 350,000 to 500,000 (URS-20)
Approximate population MS-63: 750,000 to 1,250,000 (URS-21)
Approximate population MS-60 to 62: 2,000,000 to 3,000,000 (URS-23)
Approximate population G-4 to AU-58: 1,500,000 to 2,500,000 (URS-22)
Availability of prooflike coins: Very common PL and DMPL, especially in lower Mint State levels, but usually heavily bagmarked and with poor contrast. High-grade coins are elusive.
Characteristics of striking: Varies from flat to bold. Most are average or slightly better. Prooflikes are often flat.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: The Treasury released bags of 1,000 coins in 1938 and in very large quantities (over one million coins) during the great dispersal of 1962-1964.
Proofs:
At least one. I have only seen one (the Norweb coin).
Commentary
The 1884-O is easily obtainable in various Mint State grade levels.