1896 Morgan Silver Dollar Value
Mintage: 9,976,762
Finest Known: MS68 (NGC) MS68 (PCGS)
Auction Record: $18,213 (MS66+)
Image: USA CoinBook
1896 Morgan Silver Dollar History
The 1896 Morgan dollar is among the most commonly available Morgan dollars in the entire history of the coin series, which ran from 1878 to 1921. (No silver dollars were produced between 1905 and 1920.) Nearly 10 million of the coins were minted in Philadelphia in 1896.
These Morgans that were struck at the Philadelphia Mint can be identified by the absence of a mintmark on the coin. Morgan dollars made in New Orleans have an "O" mintmark and those made in San Francisco have an "S" mintmark. The mintmark can be found on the reverse of the coin near the bottom of the design.
Over a million examples of the 1896 Morgan are thought to survive today. This is even after untold numbers of 1896 Morgan silver dollars were melted in 1918 under the Pittman Act. This en masse melting process happened again in the 1970s due to the rising value of the silver content of the coins.
PCGS estimates the number of existing Mint State 1896 Morgan dollars to total around 230,000 coins. Of those, fully 15,000 are graded MS65 or above.
The Value of an 1896 Morgan Dollar
Circulated 1896 Morgan dollars are very easily found. Floods of them were released from U.S. Treasury stockpiles during the mid-1950s through the early 1960s. Mint State grades are exceedingly common in all grades up to MS64. Even high-grade Mint State condition, the 1896 Morgan is readily available.
The 1896 Morgan dollar generally has a good strike. Luster will vary widely in attractiveness. Since this is one of the most common Morgan dollars, a coin with nice eye appeal is always available with a little searching.
1896 Morgan Dollar Price Guide
| Very Fine 25 | Extremely Fine 45 | About Uncirculated 55 |
|---|---|---|
| $41 | $42 | $46 |
| Mint State 61 | Mint State 63 | Mint State 65 | Auction Record (MS66+) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $57 | $74 | $162 | $18,213 |
The information on this page does not constitute an offer to buy or sell the coin(s) referred to. Statistics are for Mint State coins only. Proof and prooflike examples of this issue may have greater or lesser "finest known" and different record auction prices.