1883 $1 MS DMPL

Key to Collecting: Among Morgan dollars of the 1880’s, the 1883 Philadelphia Mint issue is among the most available. Produced in quantity, such pieces were often struck in haste, and some care needs to be exercised to find attractive pieces. Regardless of striking quality—sharp or weak—most pieces have satiny mint luster.

Surface Quality: The majority of 1883 Morgan dollars range from average strikes to sharp, but some weakly impressed examples exist here and there. Cherrypicking is recommended, as always. The 1883 is usually lustrous and frosty, although some pieces can be slightly dull.

Prooflike Coins: Many are from prooflike dies, one side or the other, or both. Some DMPL coins exist with excellent cameo contrast and are rare, but no doubt the market for such is diminished by the availability of Proof strikings.

Mintage and Distribution: The 1883 was released into circulation from the era of striking onward, creating a “common date” from the beginning. Many bags were paid out in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The Continental-Illinois Bank hoard, distributed later, had 12 to 15 bags.

Mintage: 1,039. Breen comment: “Mintage: First quarter 650, second 195, third 50, fourth 175, total 1,070, of which 1039 were delivered with the Proof sets, leaving 31 which were all melted at year’s end.”31

Key to Collecting: Usually well struck. Good cameo contrast between the design and the mirrored fields, but not as dramatic as on the Proofs of recent years. Finding a nice one may require some searching. If you can afford higher grades, the best way to start is to inspect pieces that have been certified as Proof-64 or finer, then go from there to determine quality. If I were buying, I would rather have a lightly toned and very appealing Proof-64, certified, than a Proof-66, certified, that has blotches or is too dark.

There are no die varieties that have commanded wide attention, but the specialist in Van Allen–Mallis varieties has well over a dozen possibilities from which to choose.