1880-CC Morgan Dollar

The Bland-Allison Act of February 28, 1878 committed the United States Treasury to purchase $2 to $4 million in silver from western states and converting it into new silver dollars.

The coins were to have a new design, and responsibility for this fell to Mint Engraver George T. Morgan. His depiction of Miss Liberty facing left and dominant reverse eagle was an attempt to deliver more artistry to American coinage.⁽¹⁾

Bland-Allison was clearly passed to satisfy mining interests. In one of its most controversial aspects, it required silver dollar production far exceeding the needs of American commerce. Consequently, millions of them, never used, accumulated in Treasury vaults.⁽²⁾

Fascinating Fact: There were 591,000 of the 1880-CC Morgans actually struck, considerably more than what is recorded in this history books. In a remarkable discovery, it was observed all 96,000 of the dollars struck in July 1880 were underweighted for silver and had to be destroyed, leaving a net mintage for the 1880-CC at 495,000 pieces.⁽³⁾

There are many varieties of the 1880-CC Morgan dollar. In higher Mint State grades, certain varieties do command value premiums.

The 1880-CC Morgan dollar should not be viewed as a great rarity of historical significance. However, when prices are charted over a 30+ year period, it performed well above most collectible coins and landed (just barely) on the Key Date List of recommendations.

Good news: While the 1880-CC Morgan may not be in the same league as, say the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar, it does attract attention because so many collectors love the “CC” mintmark. Yet, it doesn’t cost big money to attain this nostalgic artifact from the American West. There are plenty of them for sale at any given moment: Be selective and insist on a problem-free example with good eye appeal.

Please Note: For the Morgan dollar price trend survey, only grades F-12, VF-20, EF-40, AU-50, and MS-60 were analyzed. Higher grades, Prooflike (PL), and Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) were omitted because in these conditions, even rather ordinary Morgan dates can attain astronomical values that could easily skew results. The goal of the survey is to identify coins demonstrating superior price trend histories, regardless of grade.

Preview of eBay selection:

Trendline Avg = 12.41	CLASSIC RARITY

Last updated 6-9-24		Return to Key Date Coin List
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