Friday, January 25, 2013

United States Coin of the Week: Fabulous 1895 Morgan Dollar Highlights Our March Baltimore Auction


By John Salyer, Numismatist and Cataloger and James Matthews, Senior Numismatist and Consignment Director, U.S. Coins


Stacks Bowers Galleries is pleased to announce our upcoming March 2013 Baltimore Auction. One of the outstanding items that we will feature in this sale is a fabulous 1895 Morgan dollar, certified Proof-65 Cameo by NGC and pedigreed to the Janet Nakushian Collection. The coin will be a highlight of our popular and eagerly anticipated Rarities Night session.

The catalog description for this numismatic rarity, written by James Matthews, provides detailed insight into this exemplary offering:

“The beautiful deeply mirrored fields of this fully-struck Gem Proof are  complemented by lovely mint frost on the adjacent devices. The Morgan dollar series commenced in 1878 with silver provided under the provisions of the Bland-Allison Act and continued with supplementary legislation until the authorized amount of silver ended. In 1921 the coinage of Morgan dollars was continued for a time, until the Peace design replaced it late in the year. By this time nearly 100 different date, mintmark, and other major varieties has been produced.

“Large quantities, often over a millions coins, were made of nearly all—with a solitary exception: at the Philadelphia Mint in 1895 the production was limited to just 880 coins, all Proofs for collectors. Today in 2012 we believe that no more than 600 to 700 survive. Most of these are in preservation below the Gem offered here.

“Collectors desiring to complete their sets need the key 1895 Proof. As a result, these have always been in strong demand. The offered sparkling tem with cameo contrast is certain to delight the most advanced specialist and connoisseur.”

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