1894-O Morgan Silver Dollar. MS-64+ (PCGS). CAC.Surely ranking among the finest preserved survivors of this conditionally challenging New Orleans Mint issue, this premium quality example comes highly recommended for inclusion in an advanced set of Americas favorite silver dollar. Frosty surfaces are fully lustrous and bathed in beautiful cobalt blue, reddish-apricot and pearl gray toning. Sharply struck in most areas and exceptionally smooth, a bit more detail to the eagles breast feathers would likely have secured a full Gem rating for this premium quality MS-64+.<p>The New Orleans Mint produced 1,723,000 Morgan dollars in 1894. Quantities of Uncirculated coins were paid out from government storage from the early 1950s through the early to mid 1960s. Quantities were limited, however, especially in relation to many other New Orleans Mint issues in this series. Rolls were still available as late as the 1970s, but today Mint State 1894-O dollars are generally offered individually or in small groups, the grade almost always confined to the MS-60 to MS-63 range. Much of this has to do with strike and luster quality. Indeed, the New Orleans Mint struggled with quality control throughout the Morgan dollar series, and the 1894-O is certainly no exception. In fact, "Mint State examples of the 1894-O dollar are often wretched in appearance," as Q. David Bowers writes in <em>A Guide Book of Morgan Silver Dollars</em> (2016). Only a handful of Gems are known, and finding one is a difficult task for even the most dedicated numismatist. In the early 1990s when PCGS assembled a high grade collection of Morgan dollars from various contributors to display around the country, just three coins were included that were graded lower than MS-65. Those three were the 1894-O, represented in "just" MS-64 grade, and two popular varieties, the 1882-O/S and the 1887/6-O. Far nicer than the typically encountered Mint State 1894-O in todays market, and just a whisper away from full Gem Uncirculated quality, our offering of this marvelous coin represents a fleeting bidding opportunity for the astute Morgan dollar enthusiast.Ex Vanderbilt/Sunnywood.
