Morgan and Peace Dollars: A Quick Guide for Florida Sellers

Silver dollars are the coins Floridians inherit most and understand least. They are large, unmistakably old, and obviously silver, which makes them easy to notice and easy to misjudge in both directions.

A couple of minutes spent on the coin itself will tell you whether a group is worth a closer read.

The Morgan dollar, 1878 to 1921

Made from 1878 through 1904 and then once more in 1921, the Morgan holds a little over three-quarters of an ounce of silver. Even a beaten example has a solid floor because of it, and steady collector interest keeps whole dollars trading above smaller change.

The thing worth learning is where the mint mark hides. Turn the coin over and look just beneath the wreath. Nothing there means Philadelphia. An O, S, or D points to New Orleans, San Francisco, or Denver. The two letters that make people lean in are CC, for Carson City.

The Peace dollar, 1921 to 1935

The Peace dollar followed after the First World War and ran to 1935, carrying the same silver weight. The first year came in high relief and stands apart, and the 1928 struck at Philadelphia is the low-mintage date the series is remembered for.

Years worth a second look

A short list can be worth many multiples of its metal even in ordinary shape, so it is worth checking a group against these before anything changes hands.

Any Carson City Morgan, marked CC beneath the wreath
1889-CC, among the most chased Carson City strikes
1893-S, the coin that sits atop the Morgan series
1895, met almost only as a proof-only rarity
1928 Peace dollar from Philadelphia, the series key

Why they get read one at a time

Condition swings a dollar hard. A common year might bring a modest premium worn and a large one if it never circulated, so a bag priced by weight is close to certain to hold coins being shortchanged.

And the standing rule counts double here. Do not clean them. A brightened dollar reads as damaged to anyone buying seriously, and the shine takes the premium with it.

Key takeaways

Both series hold roughly three-quarters of an ounce of silver.
The mint mark sits under the wreath; CC is the one to spot.
A short list of years trades at multiples of metal.
Condition swings the price, so dollars get read individually.

FAQ

Common questions

Where exactly is the mint mark?

On the reverse of the coin, in the small space just beneath the wreath. No letter means Philadelphia, while O, S, D, and CC mean New Orleans, San Francisco, Denver, and Carson City.

Are all old silver dollars worth real money?

Each one holds meaningful silver plus a collector premium, so none are worthless. Whether a given coin is worth a great deal more depends on its year, its mint, and how well it came through the years.

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