US Dollar Coins

About US Dollar Coins

Coins have always held a special place in the American psyche. When the country was still in its infancy, Thomas Jefferson suggested that citizens could do without paper money entirely, relying instead on coins minted in a suitably broad range of denominations. Cooler heads prevailed, but in 1792, Congress did establish the Coinage Act, which created the U.S. Mint and standardized coin denominations—from half-cent copper pieces to $10 Eagles made of solid gold.

The first U.S. dollar coins were made of silver and issued in 1794. By all accounts, the coin was not well received because the press that had been used to strike the coin was not strong enough to make a clear impression on a denomination of that size. Only 1,758 of these Flowing Hair silver dollars were issued, with a few hundred more struck the following year...

In 1795, a depiction of Lady Liberty with a Draped Bust replaced the silver dollar’s obverse (front). The reverse of the coin, consisting of an oddly undernourished-looking eagle, remained fairly consistent until 1798, when it was replaced by what is known today as the Heraldic Eagle. That raptor made it onto the backs of the 1804 silver dollars, which are among the rarest and most mysterious U.S. dollar coins ever minted.

From 1840 until 1873, Seated Liberty silver dollars were put into circulation, even though by 1853 the value of the silver in the coin was worth more than a buck, making their use as currency problematic. In some years, tens of thousands of coins were issued, although in two years (1871 and 1872) more than a million were struck. Rarest of all are the 1870-S dollars minted in San Francisco—less than a dozen are thought to have been produced.

The Morgan silver dollars of 1878 to 1904 and 1921 came next. Designed by the U.S. Mint’s chief engraver, George T. Morgan, the coin featured a profile of a garlanded Lady Liberty on the obverse, with an eagle clutching arrows and an olive branch on the reverse. Morgans are one of two silver-dollar types scrutinized by VAM fans, who scour the surfaces of these coins to determine the actual dies used to strike them. For the enthusiastic coin collector, this minute level of detail is part of the joy of the pursuit.

Peace dollars (1921-1928 and 1934-1935) also get the VAM treatment. Named for the word "PEACE" stamped below the perched bald eagle on the coin’s reverse, Peace dollars replaced the Morgans at a time when a post-World War I nation was looking for a hopeful sentiment on its coins. Sculptor Anthony de Francisci won the open competition for the coin’s design. Collectors prize the so-called high-relief coins struck that first year—the relief was so deep that the coins could not be stacked reliably.

Of course silver was not the only material used to mint dollar coins. In 1849, the year of the California gold rush, gold dollar coins were minted. The original design, sometimes called the Type One Gold Dollar, featured a Liberty head on one side and a wreath on the other. Coins from 1849 whose wreaths appear open at the top are extremely rare and command megabucks at auctions.

In 1854, the gold Indian Princess dollar was introduced—coins bearing a Princess with a small head were struck from 1854 to 1856; larger-headed Princesses were produced until 1889. Gold dollar coins, especially the original Liberty heads, were sometimes soldered into jewelry. As you’d expect, coins with solder marks are worth less than those without.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With U.S. Pattern Coin Collector Andy Lustig

I started collecting coins when I was five years old, and I started dealing when I was 13 or 14. Most kids st… [more]



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Clubs & Associations: US Coins Dollars


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1893 Pcgs Pr66 Proof Cameo Morgan Silver Dollar!!!$6,000 Ends Sunday 26 bids 34 watchers
2006 20th Anniversary American Gold Eagles Ms70, Pf70 $5,400 Ends Friday 1 bid 20 watchers
Complete Morgan Bussiness Strike Set!! High Grade$4,750 Ends in 9 hours 27 bids 9 watchers
Us Coins Silver Dollar Deal 240 Coins Bu & Dates$3,650 Ends Sunday 5 bids 7 watchers
1893 Cc Ngc Ms62 Carson City Morgan Silver Dollar$3,383 Ends in 5 hours 14 bids 19 watchers
1995w 1995 W American Silver Eagle Certified Pr69 Dcam$2,575 Ends in 1 hour 25 bids 35 watchers
1891 Cc Gsa + Redfield Carson City Morgan Bonanza$2,500 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 16 watchers
1799 Draped Bust $1 Choice About Unc Very Rare!!$2,480 Ends Monday 23 bids 38 watchers
1921-1935 Peace Dollar Set Bu Unc 24 Coin Collection$2,250 Ends Friday 1 bid 5 watchers
Massive Lot Of Peace And Morgan Dollars 286 High Grade $2,113 Ends Wednesday 15 bids 9 watchers
1893-s Morgan Dollar Pcgs Vg To Fine Details Rare$1,999 Ends in 6 hours 30 bids 25 watchers
1800 Draped Bust Dollars Dotted Date Icg Xf40$1,976 Ends Sunday 8 bids 17 watchers
1869 Seated Liberty Dollar "proof" Gem Pf ** Nice!!!$1,800 Ends in 9 hours 15 bids 25 watchers
1882 Trade Dollar "proof" Gem Pf ** Highly Desired!!!$1,775 Ends Thursday 5 bids 9 watchers
200 Morgan & Peace Silver Dollar Lot Cull Bullion $1,593 Ends Sunday 5 bids 4 watchers
1879 Morgan Dollar "proof" Superb Gem Pf ** Phenomenal!$1,525 Ends Sunday 8 bids 26 watchers
Ngc Xf-40 1870-cc Carson City Seated Liberty Dollar$1,495 Ends Thursday 1 bid 17 watchers
2009 Ultra High Relief Double Eagle Gold Coin Pcgs Ms69$1,400 Ends in 1 hour 11 bids 24 watchers
1885 Cc Pcgs Ms 66 Morgan Buy it Now$1,314 Ends Sunday 4 bids 16 watchers
Ngc Pf69 Ucam 1986 To 2008 Proof Silver Eagle Set $1,300 Ends Friday 10 bids 17 watchers
1894-o Morgan Dollars Ngc Ms62$1,280 Ends Sunday 8 bids 12 watchers
100 Morgan Peace Silver Dollar Bullion Coin Lot 5 Rolls$1,275 Ends Tuesday 14 bids 8 watchers
1798 Draped Bust $1 Anacs Net Vf25$1,200 Ends Sunday 1 bid 7 watchers
1894-p 1894 Morgan Dollar Pcgs Genuine Nice Look$1,150 Ends in 9 hours 1 bid 19 watchers
1884-cc Carson City Gsa Morgan Dollar Ngc Ms-65 Dpl$1,125 Ends Saturday 11 bids 17 watchers
1889-s Liberty $20 Gold ..pcgs Ms61 .. L@@k !!$1,075 Ends Thursday 2 bids 5 watchers
1799 Silver Dollar Anacs Vf 35 Details$1,035 Ends in 6 hours 3 bids 9 watchers
1891 O Morgan Dollar - Ngc Ms63 Dmpl Dpl - Very Rare!$1,025 Ends Wednesday 22 bids 13 watchers
1865 Seated Liberty Dollar Choice Bu ** Ultra Prooflike$1,000.00 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 23 watchers
1885-cc $1 Pcgs Ms65$961.00 Ends in 6 hours 20 bids 20 watchers
Large Morgan & Peace Silver Dollar Lot 65 Coins !$921.00 Ends Sunday 18 bids 28 watchers
1880-cc Morgan Dollars Pcgs Ms65$910.00 Ends Sunday 21 bids 17 watchers
1886-o Morgan Dollars Ngc Ms62$909.00 Ends Sunday 7 bids 11 watchers
1878-cc Morgan Dollars Ngc Ms65$865.55 Ends Sunday 12 bids 17 watchers
1934-s Peace Dollar. Pcgs Ms62$860.00 Ends Sunday 17 bids 18 watchers
78 Us Silver Dollars Morgan + Peace 1885o Ms 62 Bullion$835.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 6 watchers
63 Silver Dollar Lot: (42 Morgan And 21 Peace Dollars)$822.00 Ends in 4 hours 3 bids 3 watchers
1881 Cc In Gsa Mint Box And Card, Ngc Ms65, No Reserve$810.00 Ends in 4 hours 2 bids 6 watchers
Choice Original 1880-o Morgan Dollar Roll$799.00 Ends Sunday 1 bid 8 watchers
1883 S Ngc Certified Ms61 Morgan Silver Dollar $1 Rare$787.77 Ends in 5 hours 24 bids 17 watchers
1800 Draped Bust Dollar "heraldic Eagle" Choice Xf$765.00 Ends in 9 hours 19 bids 53 watchers
1881-cc Morgan Dollars Pcgs Ms65$760.50 Ends Sunday 12 bids 11 watchers
Silver Collection 100% Complete Peace Dollar Set$760.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 9 watchers
1894 Morgan Dollar Choice Bu++/near Gem Bu Scarce!!! Nr$760.00 Ends Sunday 13 bids 23 watchers
1889-cc Rare Rainbow Key Date Morgan Silver Dollar Coin$710.00 Ends Sunday 11 bids 25 watchers
1886 Morgan Dollar Certified Ngc Ms67 **high Grade**$699.99 Ends Sunday 1 bid 1 watcher
1891-cc Morgan Dollars Pcgs Ms64$690.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 11 watchers
1879-s Morgan Dollars Ngc Ms67$681.00 Ends Sunday 10 bids 11 watchers
1893-s Morgan Silver Dollar Rare Coin !!!! Key Date...$676.00 Ends Sunday 23 bids 19 watchers
2 Full Mixed Rolls Morgan & Peace Silver Dollars Invest$671.00 Ends in 1 hour 4 bids 3 watchers
1878-s Trade Dollar Anacs Ms62 (not A Net Grade)$666.00 Ends Sunday 40 bids 16 watchers
Pq 1881-cc Morgan Dollar Graded/slabbed Pcgs Ms-64 Dmpl$660.00 Ends Thursday 21 bids 7 watchers

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Recent News: US Dollar Coins

Source: Google News

Blind Notre Dame grad to present Braille coin before game.
South Bend Tribune, November 7th

The bicentennial silver dollar is being delivered to campus by Marc Maurer, a 1974 University of Notre Dame graduate who is president of the National...Read more

National Federation of the Blind Announces Notre Dame Will Use Braille Coin in ...
Reuters, November 4th

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will be used to support the NFB's "Braille Readers are Leaders"...Read more

Fluctuating Metal Prices Left Mark on Coins
NumisMaster.com, November 2nd

In a sense long before an official Trade dollar was ever authorized, the silver dollar of the United States had become a dollar produced virtually...Read more

2013 Girl Scouts Commemorative Coin Program Signed into Law
Coin Update News, November 2nd

By Michael Zielinski on November 2nd, 2009 A bill authorizing the production of Girl Scouts Commemorative Silver Dollar coins was signed into law on October...Read more

Silver Dollars & Wooden Nickels: More silver in honor of the Silver State
Nevada Appeal, November 1st

The Nevada Appeal's “Silver Dollar” and “Wooden Nickel” feature recognizes positive achievements from the capital region and, when warranted,...Read more

National Federation of the Blind Announces Louisiana Tech Will Use Braille ...
Reuters, October 26th

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the 2009 Louis Braille Bicentennial Silver Dollar will be used to support the NFB's "Braille Readers are Leaders"...Read more

The 10-10-10 Financial Survival Plan
WEBCommentary, October 26th

For instance, a silver dollar that is currently worth less than $20 could have much more buying power than that hundred dollar bill you have in your wallet...Read more

NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing Series, Saturday from Silver Dollar Raceway ...
Autochannel (press release), October 19th

Racing continues Sunday at Silver Dollar Raceway. Gates open at 8 am with racing scheduled to begin at 9 am Tickets are $20 for adults and children 12 and...Read more

US Coins Dollars

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