The 1889-O Morgan Dollar (Buy on eBay) was struck at the New Orleans Mint with a mintage of 11,875,000 pieces. Some of this amount circulated around the time of issue, while some remained within Treasury vaults for later release.
This issue remains relatively available in lower mint state grades, although many will display weak strikes with a lack of detail on the hair above the ear. Searching is required to find a sharply struck specimen. At the gem level, the coin is less frequently encountered and drives a premium. The finest numerical grade of MS66 has been awarded to about a dozen pieces by the major grading services.
An example of this coin graded PCGS MS66 sold for $14,950 at an auction held in January 2009. Very elusive in Deep Mirror Proof-Like, an example graded PCGS MS65DMPL with CAC verification sold for $48,875 in June 2010.
1889-O Morgan Dollar Mintage and Specifications
- Mintage: 11,875,000 (circulation)
- Mint Mark: O (New Orleans)
- Composition: 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight: 26.73 grams
- Diameter: 38.1 mm
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