1885-O $1 MS DMPL

Key to Collecting: The 1885-O dollars were among the bonanza delights of the 1962 through 1964 Treasury releases, after which bags were common, all filled with bright, sparkling coins—but not necessarily well struck or with deep luster. Today, cherrypicking is the order of the day, but with so many coins from which to choose, the exercise will not take much time. Be advised that at coin shows not all dealers want fussy buyers poking around piles of Morgan dollars to find choice ones or, worse (in their view), obscure VAM varieties. One leading dealer was all heated up at a convention after having several Morgan dollar “weenies” (as he called them) in succession stop at his table and ask to look for die varieties. They didn’t buy anything, not because they did not want to, but because the dealer never gave them a chance.

Surface Quality: The strike can range from flat at the centers to fairly sharp, the same general rule being applicable to other New Orleans pieces of the era. Luster ranges from frosty to grainy or dull. Cherrypicking is advised.

Prooflike Coins: Some are seen with prooflike dies, but usually not with great contrast against the devices.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: May, 900,000; June, 925,000; July, 100,000; August, 600,000; September, 800,000; October, 800,000; November, 800,000; December, 800,000. Many 1885-O dollars were paid out in the early years, and as a result these were common in circulation. Mint bags from storage were paid out in later years as well. In November 1962 and for a short time afterward many bags were released from a Philadelphia Mint vault sealed in 1929, exhausting the supply. It is believed that the bulk of about 10,000,000 coins from that vault were 1883-O, 1884-O, and 1885-O.

Ten die pairs were used. There are no “must have” varieties, although VAM-9 may be the most interesting.