1890 $1 MS PL

Key to Collecting: The 1890 dollar is a very common coin in Mint State, and circulated pieces are likewise plentiful. Nearly all are lightly or even poorly struck and with dull, unattractive luster. Some show graininess and metal flow. If you want a nice one, buy a Proof! As is so often the case with “common dates,” most exist in lower Mint State levels, and for MS-65 and higher grades the supply drops o" logarithmically.

Surface Quality: Striking varies from weak to not so weak, but is not often seen sharp. The typical 1890 is average or below average, with flatness over the ear. As a rule of thumb, the luster on the 1890 is rather dull, often grainy, as dies seem to have been used for a long time.

Prooflike Coins: Some are prooflike, and are also usually of low contrast. However, some DMPLs exist with cameo contrast and are worth a premium over the others.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: January, 1,350,000; February, 1,700,000; March, 1,800,000; April, 1,800,000; May, 1,200,000; June, 1,200,000; July, 600,000; August, 152,000 1,000,000+; September, 1,300,000; October, 1,500,000; November, 1,600,000; December, 1,600,000. 1890 dollars were released fairly continuously over a long period of years, defining this as a common date. Large quantities were paid out in 1941 and 1942 and again in the mid-1950’s, but many bags remained, and the final ones were disbursed during the Treasury releases of 1962 through 1964. Some of these were coated with grease.

Mintage: 590, the lowest figure for any Proof Morgan dollar after 1878 and before 1921. Delivery figures by month: January–February, 0; March, 265; April–November, 0; December, 125.

Key to Collecting: Above average strike for some, flat centers for others. Medium to low contrast. Better quality workmanship than in 1889, if only slightly.

Varieties specifically identified among the 48 obverses and 49 reverses of this coinage mainly consist of date doubling. VAM-7 and 14 each have the Slanted Date, with the digit 1 significantly closer to the denticles than is the 0. All are from the four-digit logotype.