1902 $1 MS DMPL

Key to Collecting: The 1902 Philadelphia Mint dollar, while not in the common-date category, is still quite plentiful. Striking is apt to be indifferent or downright poor, but fairly sharp examples exist. Luster is subdued and satiny, not at all deeply frosty, probably due as much to die preparation procedures as to striking.

Surface Quality: The strike is usually above average, but as all are from the new hub, the feather detail is not what it was in the years prior to 1900. The luster can be satiny or somewhat dull, not deeply frosty.

Prooflike Coins: Some prooflikes exist but are of low contrast.

Mintage and Distribution: Delivery figures by month: January, 800,000; February, 786,000; March, 750,000; April, 1,000,000; May, 500,000; June, 586,000; July, 500,000; August, 778,000; September, 1,054,000; October, 0; November, 726,000; December, 514,000. While 1902-dated Morgan dollars were hardly ever encountered in circulation in the early days, this changed in the 1940’s when bags were paid out, followed by many more in the 1950’s.

Mintage: 777. Delivery figures by month: January–February, 0; March, 312; April, 65; May, 0; June, 60; July–August, 0; September, 60; October–November, 0; December, 280.

Key to Collecting: The strike is usually average at best, but some employee, perhaps new on the job, decided this year to polish the portraits on the various Proof dies, and to really polish them in 1903—doing away with cameo contrast.

Many varieties exist, some with new hub (introduced in 1900), and others with new hub over old hub, and with some slight features of the undertype visible; check VAM for details. For this year 80 obverse and 67 reverse dies were prepared.