Six distinct series, 141 years of US silver dollar coinage, and price gaps that can reach six figures within a single date depending on grade and mint mark. This guide identifies every major key date across the Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Seated Liberty, Trade, Morgan, and Peace dollar series — with verified values, full mintage context, real auction comparables from Heritage, and a plain-language workflow for deciding what to do with whatever you have found.
Most circulated Morgan and Peace dollars — the coins people most commonly inherit — are worth $25–$60 over melt depending on condition, because they are common-date coins. But 'silver dollar' covers six different series spanning 1794 to 1935, and within those series a handful of dates change the conversation entirely. The most important are the 1893-S Morgan (mintage 100,000; a VF30 sold at Heritage for $7,500 in August 2023, an MS63 CAC sold for $444,000 in January 2024), the 1889-CC Morgan (MS64 Deep Prooflike sold for $132,000 at Heritage in June 2024), the 1873-CC Trade dollar, the 1804 Draped Bust dollar (15 known), and the 1928 Peace dollar. On the early-dollar side, the 1794 Flowing Hair dollar in any Mint State grade is one of the most significant coins in American numismatics.
For typical owners, the first step is confirming the date and mint mark, then checking whether the coin is a recognized key date or semi-key before assuming it is a common silver round. Coins-Value.com maintains an independent grade-by-grade reference for US silver dollars that is worth bookmarking before you do anything else. Certification matters on any coin that looks like it might be worth several hundred dollars or more — the discount buyers impose on unslabbed key dates is real and measurable.
Reference Values
Values below are drawn from the PCGS Price Guide, Greysheet CPG, and recent Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers realized prices as documented in dossier research. Retail and wholesale spreads are real: dealers typically offer 60–75% of guide on common material and a higher fraction on true key dates where competitive demand exists. Color or surface designations (Deep Prooflike, Cameo) can multiply a figure within the same numerical grade.
Values for the Flowing Hair series reflect extreme rarity, especially for the 1794. Early-dollar grades use the older Fair-through-AU scale most often cited in specialist references.
| Date / Variety | AG-3 to G-6 | F-12 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1794 — B-1, BB-1 | insufficient data | insufficient data | insufficient data | Multi-million dollars — one of the most valuable US coins |
| 1795 — Flowing Hair (type) | $1,500–$2,500 | $3,500–$6,000 | $8,000–$18,000 | $35,000+ |
The 1804 has no meaningful price range because all 15 known examples are unique historical artifacts. All other Draped Bust values are retail estimates from PCGS and Greysheet.
| Date / Variety | AG-3 to G-6 | F-12 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1804 — all classes | 15 known — each sale is an individual negotiation; last major public offerings reached into the millions | |||
| 1796–1798 — Small Eagle | $1,800–$3,500 | $5,000–$10,000 | $14,000–$30,000 | $60,000+ |
| 1798–1804 — Heraldic Eagle (type) | $800–$1,500 | $2,000–$4,500 | $7,000–$16,000 | $30,000+ |
Seated dollar values vary sharply by mint mark. Philadelphia dates in lower grades are the most accessible; Carson City issues carry significant premiums at all grades.
| Date / Variety | G-4 to G-6 | F-12 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60 to MS-63 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870-S — rarity | Approximately 12 known — individual auction negotiation; six-figure territory for any confirmed example | |||
| 1873-CC | $8,000–$15,000 | $20,000–$40,000 | $55,000–$100,000 | $150,000+ |
| Common date (Philadelphia, 1840s–1860s) | $200–$400 | $350–$600 | $700–$1,500 | $3,000–$8,000 |
Trade dollars use the heavier 27.22-gram standard. Carson City dates command the largest premiums; San Francisco and Philadelphia issues are more accessible.
| Date / Variety | G-4 to G-6 | F-12 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60 to MS-64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1873-CC | $2,500–$5,000 | $7,000–$15,000 | $20,000–$35,000 | $48,000+ (MS64 Heritage Jan 2024) |
| 1878-CC | $300–$600 | $700–$1,500 | $2,000–$4,500 | $12,000+ |
| Common date (Philadelphia/San Francisco) | $120–$200 | $150–$275 | $250–$400 | $600–$2,500 |
Morgan dollars span the widest range of any series here — from common-date coins worth $30 over melt to key dates worth hundreds of thousands. Carson City and scarce San Francisco dates drive the premium end.
| Date / Variety | G-4 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60 to MS-63 | MS-64 to MS-65 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1893-S | $3,500–$14,400 | $14,400–$50,000 | $150,000–$444,000 | $372,000–$600,000+ (Heritage 2023–2024) |
| 1889-CC | $3,000–$8,000 | $10,000–$20,400 | $40,000–$80,000 | $132,000 DPL example (Heritage Jun 2024) |
| 1884-S | $30–$80 | $200–$800 | $8,000–$40,000 | $120,000 (MS64 Heritage Jun 2024) |
| 1893-CC | $400–$1,200 | $2,000–$5,000 | $12,000–$30,000 | $60,000+ |
| 1892-S | $75–$250 | $400–$1,000 | $5,000–$15,000 | $40,000+ |
| 1895 (Proof only) | insufficient data | insufficient data | insufficient data | PR-63 to PR-65 range: $50,000–$150,000+ |
| Common date Morgan (1881-S, 1883-O, 1884-O, 1921) | $28–$45 | $40–$65 | $55–$120 | $150–$400 |
Peace dollar values are anchored by the 1921 High Relief and 1928 key dates. The 1934-S is the series' premier condition rarity, with recent auction results showing how steeply grade affects price.
| Date / Variety | G-4 to VF-30 | XF-40 to AU-58 | MS-60 to MS-63 | MS-64 to MS-66 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 High Relief | $150–$300 | $400–$700 | $900–$2,000 | $4,000–$12,000+ |
| 1928 | $250–$450 | $550–$900 | $1,200–$3,000 | $5,000–$15,000+ |
| 1934-S | $50–$150 | $200–$700 | $2,500–$5,280 | $10,000–$36,055 (MS66 Heritage Apr 2025) |
| 1935-S | $35–$70 | $80–$175 | $300–$800 | $2,000–$6,000+ |
| Common date Peace (1922, 1923, 1924) | $28–$38 | $38–$55 | $65–$120 | $150–$600 |
Cells marked 'insufficient data' reflect grades for which the dossier research did not retrieve verified current public guide figures — not an assumption that the coin is worthless in those grades. For complete grade-by-grade pricing on every US silver dollar, Coins-Value.com's silver dollar reference is the most current independent source.
Historical Context
The US silver dollar begins with the Flowing Hair dollar of 1794–1795, designed by Robert Scot and struck in 90% silver at a weight of 27.00 grams. The mintage for 1794 was approximately 1,758 pieces — a figure that has been debated by specialists for decades — making it the origin point of the entire denomination and one of the rarest coins in American numismatics. The design gave way to the Draped Bust dollar beginning in 1795, which itself saw two major reverse types: the Small Eagle reverse through 1798 and the Heraldic Eagle reverse from 1798 onward.
The Liberty Seated dollar, introduced in 1840, represented the first long-running redesign of the denomination and continued through 1873. It is the series where Carson City mint marks first appear on dollars, and several CC-mint issues from that era are significant rarities. The Trade dollar runs parallel for a period: struck from 1873 to 1885, it was designed for use in Asian commerce at a heavier 27.22-gram standard and occupies its own PCGS designation separate from the regular dollar series.
The Morgan dollar, designed by George T. Morgan, had the longest and most popular run of any US dollar design — from 1878 through 1904, then revived for 1921. Five mints struck Morgans: Philadelphia, Carson City, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Denver. The sheer number of date-and-mint combinations, combined with the series' enormous collector base, makes it the most thoroughly studied of the classic dollar types. The Peace dollar closed the classic silver era from 1921 through 1935, striking the High Relief type only in 1921 before transitioning to the lower-relief design that persisted through the series' end.
After 1935, no regular-issue US dollar coin was struck in 90% silver for general circulation. The Eisenhower dollar series (1971–1978) used copper-nickel clad for circulation, with 40% silver versions available only in collector sets. The modern golden-dollar programs — Sacagawea, Native American, Presidential, American Innovation — use a manganese-brass outer layer over a pure copper core. These are an entirely different category from the classic silver-dollar era and are not addressed in this guide.
Key Dates by Series
The entries below are organized by series in historical order. Within each series, the highest-value or most-important dates lead. Mintage figures come from PCGS CoinFacts and NGC registry data as cited in the dossier research. Values are retail estimates from the PCGS Price Guide and Greysheet CPG unless a specific auction comparable is noted; retail and wholesale spreads can be significant, and dealer bids typically run 60–75% of retail guide on common material and higher on true key dates where demand is competitive.
The 1794 is the first US silver dollar ever struck, which alone makes it extraordinary. Specialist opinion places surviving examples in the low hundreds, and the finest known — an MS66+ PCGS CAC coin from the St. Oswald-Ostheimer-Hayes-Pogue pedigree — was offered at Heritage Auction 1333 in August 2021 in one of the most significant recent public offerings in the denomination. Even circulated examples command prices that put them beyond most collectors, and raw offerings of this date should be treated with extreme skepticism: it is one of the most-faked coins in American numismatics.
Authentication is not optional. Weight should be 27.00 grams, diameter 40.00 mm, and the edge must be lettered. Beyond physical specs, die-marriage attribution (B-1, BB-1) requires specialist reference. PCGS or NGC certification is the only reliable path to buyer confidence on an 1794.
The 1795 Flowing Hair is the second and final year of the type, with a much larger recorded mintage than the 1794. Most 1795 dollars are attributable to specific die marriages (Bolender numbers), and the Silver Plug variety — a small silver plug inserted into the planchet center before striking to bring weight up to standard — commands a premium when genuinely identified. The caution here is that environmental roughness on a normal 1795 can be misread as a Silver Plug by sellers using poor photographs or wishful attribution.
A raw 1795 in VF condition is a legitimate four-figure coin on type alone. Identified Silver Plug examples in better grades reach significantly higher. Attribution requires a knowledgeable specialist or a grading-service submission that includes variety attribution.
The 1804 dollar is, by almost any measure, the most famous US coin. PCGS notes only 15 pieces are known across three classes, all struck after 1834 as diplomatic gifts or later restrikes. No 1804-dated dollar was ever struck in 1804 for circulation — the date was applied to coins made decades later. That history has not reduced demand; it has amplified it, because every piece is a documented historical artifact rather than simply a rare coin.
If you believe you have an 1804 dollar, the correct actions are clear: do not sell it raw, do not clean it, do not assume it is genuine. Have it authenticated by PCGS or NGC immediately. The combination of extreme fame and only 15 known examples makes this the most consequential authentication problem in all of US numismatics.
These early Draped Bust dollars require multiple attribution steps: first the reverse type (Small Eagle vs Heraldic Eagle), then star count on the obverse, then lettering style, and finally specific die marriage. The 1797 is the lower-mintage of the primary dates in this group, and the Small Eagle reverse variant of 1798 is particularly scarce. Attribution references by Bolender and Bowers-Borckardt are the standard tools.
Even without premium attribution, circulated examples of these dates are worth thousands of dollars as type coins. If the coin turns out to carry a recognized rare die marriage, value can increase substantially. Sending a potentially attributable example to PCGS or NGC is almost always cheaper than making an incorrect attribution call.
The 1870-S Seated dollar occupies a unique position: it is believed to have been struck as part of the cornerstone-laying ceremony for the new San Francisco Mint building, with no regular production run. Surviving examples number in the low teens at most, and the coin is one of the most actively faked in the entire Seated dollar series because the price gap between a genuine example and a common host coin is enormous.
Authentication by PCGS or NGC is mandatory. A raw coin claimed to be an 1870-S Seated dollar should be treated as suspect regardless of how convincing it appears to an untrained eye.
The 1873-CC Seated dollar is among the key Carson City issues in the series, with a tiny mintage of approximately 2,300 pieces and very few survivors at any grade. It is also on the list of most-faked dollar coins, because the value difference between a genuine 1873-CC and a normal host is large enough to make alterations worthwhile to fraudsters. Added mint marks and altered dates are both documented problems here.
Raw CC Seated dollars always carry an authentication skepticism that no-mintmark examples do not. PCGS or NGC certification is essential before any sale or purchase.
The 1873-CC Trade dollar is the headline key date of the entire Trade series and one of the most important Carson City coins in any denomination. Despite a mintage of 124,500, demand from date-set collectors and the strong premiums commanded by CC-mint Trade dollars at every grade level make this a genuinely expensive coin in circulated grades and an exceptional rarity in Mint State.
At Heritage Auction 1371 in January 2024, an MS64 PCGS example realized $48,000 — an excellent illustration of how aggressively the market prices a top-grade business-strike 1873-CC. Circulated examples are still significant four-figure coins. The Trade dollar's heavier 27.22-gram standard distinguishes it from contemporary Liberty Seated dollars and is part of the initial authentication check.
The 1878-CC is not as dramatically rare as the 1873-CC, but its modest mintage and strong demand from Trade dollar collectors keep it well above common-date pricing at every grade level. The same authentication discipline applies: Carson City Trade dollars are targets for added-mintmark fraud, and any raw CC Trade dollar deserves careful examination before purchase.
The 1893-S Morgan is, by the consensus of collectors and price guides alike, the key date of the Morgan series. Its mintage of 100,000 is not the lowest in the series by raw count, but survivor population at every grade level is sparse, and demand from every Morgan date-set builder worldwide keeps prices strong even in heavily circulated grades. Recent Heritage results illustrate the market's depth: a VF30 PCGS sold for $7,500 in August 2023, an XF40 PCGS sold for $14,400 in February 2025, an MS63 PCGS CAC sold for $444,000 in January 2024, and an MS64 NGC sold for $372,000 in February 2023.
Altered-date coins are a documented problem — narrow digit spacing and weak final digits on common hosts have been re-cut to replicate the 1893-S. PCGS and NGC certification is not optional on this date at any price point. A raw 1893-S being offered at any significant price should be treated as unverified until slabbed.
The 1889-CC is the Carson City Morgan key. Despite a mintage of 350,000, survivor populations at Mint State grades are brutally low, and even circulated examples command strong premiums. An AU58 PCGS sold at Heritage Auction 1379 in December 2024 for $16,800, a VAM-5A attribution in AU58 sold for $20,400 in February 2024, and an MS64 Deep Prooflike NGC sold for $132,000 in June 2024.
Added mint marks are the classic fraud vector on this date. The value difference between an 1889-P (essentially a common coin) and an 1889-CC is so large that forgers have had strong financial motivation for decades. Examine the CC mint mark for tooling marks, incorrect position, disturbed metal, or a patina halo around the mintmark that differs from the surrounding field.
The 1893-CC is not quite the headline key that the 1889-CC is, but it is firmly in the semi-key category and carries significant premiums in grades above XF. The CC mint mark authentication discipline that applies to the 1889-CC applies equally here: the value difference between an 1893-P and an 1893-CC is large enough to have attracted added-mintmark fraud. Raw examples in problem-free condition should still be certified before any significant transaction.
The 1884-S illustrates a pattern that appears repeatedly in the Morgan series: a coin that is not particularly rare in circulated grades but becomes genuinely scarce in upper Mint State. At Heritage Auction 1368 in June 2024, an MS64 PCGS example realized $120,000 — a sharp reminder that the Uncirculated survivor population for this date is thin regardless of the large original mintage. Circulated examples are worth modest premiums over melt; Mint State examples require current PCGS or NGC population data before any valuation.
The 1892-S is one of the better San Francisco Morgan dates to check for in an inherited collection. Its mintage is not dramatically low, but Mint State survivors are scarce enough that the coin commands meaningful premiums above circulated grades. If you are triaging a group of Morgans, check the date and mint mark on all S-mint examples from the 1880s and 1890s — the 1892-S, 1893-S, and 1884-S are all dates where condition makes an enormous price difference.
The 1895 Morgan is the only date in the series for which no business strikes were produced — only 880 Proof examples were struck. Any claimed 1895 Morgan business strike is a misidentified or altered coin; the date simply does not exist as a circulation piece. Genuine Proof examples are extremely valuable, require certification, and are not the kind of coin that typically turns up raw in an inherited box.
The 1921 Morgan is important not because it is rare — it is one of the most common Morgan dates struck — but because 1921 is a split year that also saw the first Peace dollars. An owner who finds a 1921 dollar needs to confirm whether it is a Morgan (the design with the eagle reverse featuring an olive branch and arrows, and the Liberty head with stars) or a Peace dollar (the distinctive High Relief type with 'PEACE' on the reverse). Both were struck in 1921. The Morgan is common; the Peace 1921 High Relief is a key date.
The 1921 Peace dollar is visually distinct from all subsequent Peace dollars: it was struck in High Relief, meaning the design elements are pronounced in three dimensions rather than the flattened low-relief profile used from 1922 onward. The mintage of just over one million sounds large, but the combination of collector demand for the unique High Relief type and strong attrition through circulation keeps Mint State examples scarce. This is one of the Peace dollar dates where condition matters significantly — a worn example is still a premium coin, but an Uncirculated example is in a different price tier.
Authentication note: the PCGS CoinFacts entry for the 1921 High Relief Peace dollar is the primary public reference for die characteristics and grade populations. Any raw example believed to be Mint State should be certified before sale.
The 1928 is the Peace dollar key date by mintage — at 360,649, it is the lowest business-strike figure in the series and the date that most dramatically separates common Peace dollar collecting from key-date territory. Even circulated examples command premiums that put this well above face-value melt value, and better Mint State grades can reach several thousand dollars depending on surface quality.
Altered-date coins are a documented concern. Dates with narrow spacing can be re-cut. The 1928 Peace dollar is specifically mentioned in authentication guides as a date worth that warning because the value gap between it and surrounding common dates is significant. PCGS or NGC certification before purchase or sale is strongly advised.
The 1934-S is the most important condition rarity in the Peace dollar series. Its mintage of just over one million is not especially low, but the number of Mint State survivors — particularly in grades above MS63 — is strikingly small. Heritage Auction results from late 2024 make the point clearly: an MS63 PCGS example sold for $5,280 in November 2024, while an MS66 PCGS example sold for $36,055 in April 2025. That is a roughly seven-to-one price ratio across just three grade points.
Owners who find a 1934-S Peace dollar should not assume that 'Uncirculated' is sufficient for a large premium. The specific Mint State grade — and, on high-end examples, eye appeal — determines whether the coin is worth $2,000 or $36,000. Current PCGS or NGC population data and a professional grade are both essential before any sale decision.
The 1935-S closes the San Francisco Peace dollar run and carries semi-key premiums in higher Mint State grades. It is not as dramatically condition-rare as the 1934-S, but Mint State survivors above MS64 are still scarce enough to warrant current population research before a valuation is finalized. Circulated examples trade at modest premiums over common-date Peace dollars.
Several silver dollar dates generate outsized excitement online despite modest actual values. Identifying these upfront serves owners better than letting them discover the disappointment at the coin shop.
Before you start comparing your coin against written descriptions of Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Seated Liberty, Trade, Morgan, and Peace types, try photographing both sides with the Assay app. Assay uses AI identification to return a structured result — including per-field confidence labels showing whether it is 'high,' 'medium,' or 'low' certainty on the series, year, and mint mark. Medium- and low-confidence fields prompt a quick confirmation question rather than silently guessing. The result also includes a four-bucket condition estimate (Well Worn / Lightly Worn / Almost New / Mint Condition), a Low-Typical-High price range for each bucket, and a Keep / Sell / Grade verdict based on where the value falls.
Assay's database covers 20,000+ US and Canadian coins, including the major date-and-mint combinations across the Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Seated Liberty, Trade, Morgan, and Peace dollar series. High-risk dates — including the 1893-S Morgan and 1889-CC Morgan — surface counterfeit risk alerts with coin-specific authentication tips, not generic warnings. A 7-day free trial gives you full access to the AI scan; Manual Lookup remains permanently free even after the trial ends.
Authentication
Dollar coins occupy the high end of the collector market in almost every series, which means they are also the denomination most worth faking, altering, and misattributing. The authentication problems vary by series, but three questions apply universally: is the coin the right weight and diameter, does the mint mark look right, and has the coin been cleaned or altered in a way that changes its grade category?
The most-faked dollar dates follow the premium map: wherever the price gap between a common coin and a rare one is large, forgers have a target. The list is not speculative — it is derived directly from the market: 1794, 1804, 1870-S Liberty Seated, 1873-CC Liberty Seated, 1873-CC Trade, 1889-CC Morgan, and 1893-S Morgan are all dates where a raw coin being offered at a price that seems unusually accessible should be treated as unverified until certified.
Two specific fraud types dominate the silver dollar market. The first is the added mint mark — the most common on Morgan, Trade, and Seated dollars with Carson City or San Francisco marks. A genuine Philadelphia or no-mintmark host coin has the target date's mint mark soldered, glued, or scratched in. To spot an added mark, look for tooling marks in the mintmark area, incorrect serif shapes for the mint's known die style, a patina or color difference around the mintmark relative to the surrounding field, or a micro-raised edge ring around the mark. Any of these should trigger a professional authentication request.
The second fraud type is the altered date. Digits with weak terminal serifs or narrow spacing on a common host are re-cut to match a rare date. The 1893-S Morgan is specifically documented as a target for this. On early dollars, re-cut digits on worn examples can also shift a common date into a rare one. When the value difference between the common host and the claimed date justifies the labor of alteration — and with key silver dollars it usually does — assume somebody has tried it.
PCGS and NGC each offer Economy-tier submission services, typically in the $30–$50 range per coin for standard turnaround on modern material and somewhat more for early coins or expedited service. On most key-date silver dollars, the grading fee is the smallest line item in the transaction. The discount that buyers impose on raw key dates — because they cannot be sure of authenticity or grade without a holder — regularly exceeds the certification cost by a factor of ten or more.
| Coin value (raw estimate) | Grading economic? | Recommendation |
|---|---|---|
| Under $75 (common-date circulated Morgan or Peace) | Usually not | Keep raw; sell in bulk or as 90% silver |
| $75–$300 (semi-key or nice Mint State common date) | Case by case | Grade if AU or better and eye appeal is strong |
| $300–$1,500 (semi-key, scarce date or better grade) | Yes | Grade before selling nationally; the holder removes buyer skepticism |
| $1,500+ (any key date at any grade, any early dollar) | Yes — without exception | Do not sell raw; the discount on unslabbed key dates is measurable and real |
One nuance worth understanding: a coin that comes back 'Genuine — Cleaned' or 'Details' from PCGS or NGC is still authenticated and still valuable on key dates. An improperly cleaned 1893-S Morgan is still a real 1893-S Morgan. Heritage's archive documents exactly this scenario — the coin sold as a problem coin rather than a straight-grade example, but it still sold. The lesson is that cleaning does not make a key-date coin worthless; it makes it worth less than it would have been uncleaned.
The instinct is understandable — a dark, toned, or dirty silver dollar looks like it needs help. In almost every case, it does not. Professional coin conservation by a service like Numismatic Conservation Services can remove environmentally deposited material without disturbing the coin's original surfaces. What looks like 'grime' to an owner may be a desirable original patina to a collector. What looks like a coin that 'just needs a polish' to an owner becomes a coin with hairlines and impaired luster to every subsequent buyer.
Heritage's archive for an improperly cleaned 1893-S Morgan is the clearest available object lesson. The coin's key-date status means it still sold and still sold for a meaningful price. But the 'Improperly Cleaned' designation became part of its permanent public record. A coin that could have been a straight-grade five-figure example became a problem-coin example at a significant discount. That discount exists for the coin's entire future ownership history. On silver dollars, never clean — if conservation is needed, contact a professional numismatic conservation service.
Auction Records
The records below are realized-price comparables from Heritage Auctions over the past several years, drawn from the dossier research. They are not an all-time list — they are selected because they illustrate how strongly grade, eye appeal, surface designation, and CAC approval affect prices within the same key date. The 1893-S Morgan results alone span from $7,500 in VF30 to $444,000 in MS63 CAC, which makes the point about condition more clearly than any price guide can.
| Date | Coin | Grade / Holder | Price | Auction House |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 30, 2025 | 1934-S Peace Dollar | MS66 PCGS | $36,055.20 | Heritage (Sale 1383, Lot 3252) |
| Feb 27, 2025 | 1893-S Morgan Dollar | XF40 PCGS | $14,400.00 | Heritage (Sale 1381, Lot 3284) |
| Dec 15, 2024 | 1889-CC Morgan Dollar | AU58 PCGS | $16,800.00 | Heritage (Sale 1379, Lot 3055) |
| Nov 20, 2024 | 1934-S Peace Dollar | MS63 PCGS | $5,280.00 | Heritage (Sale 1378, Lot 3449) |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 1889-CC Morgan Dollar | MS64 Deep Prooflike NGC | $132,000.00 | Heritage (Sale 1368, Lot 3046) |
| Jun 13, 2024 | 1884-S Morgan Dollar | MS64 PCGS | $120,000.00 | Heritage (Sale 1368, Lot 3039) |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 1889-CC Morgan Dollar, VAM-5A | AU58 PCGS | $20,400.00 | Heritage (Sale 1372, Lot 3120) |
| Jan 14, 2024 | 1893-S Morgan Dollar | MS63 PCGS CAC | $444,000.00 | Heritage (Sale 1371, Lot 4115) |
| Jan 14, 2024 | 1873-CC Trade Dollar | MS64 PCGS | $48,000.00 | Heritage (Sale 1371, Lot 4115) |
| Feb 9, 2023 | 1893-S Morgan Dollar | MS64 NGC | $372,000.00 | Heritage (Sale 1357, Lot 3774) |
| Aug 17, 2023 | 1893-S Morgan Dollar | VF30 PCGS | $7,500.00 | Heritage (Sale 1364, Lot 3728) |
| Aug 18, 2021 | 1794 Flowing Hair Dollar — B-1, BB-1 | MS66+ PCGS CAC (St. Oswald-Ostheimer-Hayes-Pogue pedigree) | Realized price not publicly disclosed in retrievable archive text | Heritage (Sale 1333, Lot 3021) |
Myth vs Reality
Silver dollars attract a higher volume of misinformation than almost any other coin series, partly because the genuine key dates really are worth extraordinary amounts — which gives credibility to exaggerated claims about common examples. These are the misconceptions that most often send owners to a coin shop with the wrong expectations.
Action Steps
The path from 'I found a box of old silver dollars' to 'I sold them for the right price' follows a predictable sequence. Skipping steps — especially authentication — is where owners leave money on the table or, worse, sell a key-date coin for common-date prices.
Separate your coins by type first: Flowing Hair and Draped Bust (pre-1804) are the early group; Liberty Seated runs 1840–1873; Trade dollars run 1873–1885 and are heavier at 27.22 grams; Morgans run 1878–1904 and again in 1921; Peace dollars run 1921–1935. Modern golden-color dollars are a separate category. Once you know what series you have, date and mint mark become meaningful.
For Morgans, the first triage check is 1893-S, then 1889-CC, then 1893-CC, then scarce San Francisco dates like 1892-S and 1884-S. For Peace dollars, check 1921 (confirm High Relief vs common low-relief), 1928, and 1934-S. For Trade dollars, check 1873-CC and 1878-CC. Any early dollar (pre-1840) warrants a full specialist review regardless of date. The Assay app can help you identify the series, year, and mint mark quickly — its per-field confidence labels tell you when it is certain and when you should double-check manually.
Before assuming any early dollar or key-date coin is genuine, confirm physical specifications. Classic silver dollars (Liberty Seated, Morgan, Peace) are 26.73 grams and 38.10 mm with a reeded edge. Early Flowing Hair and Draped Bust dollars are 27.00 grams and 40.00 mm with a lettered edge. Trade dollars are 27.22 grams. A coin that is materially off on any of these measurements should be treated as suspicious until proven otherwise. A digital scale accurate to 0.01 grams costs under $15 and is worth owning if you have multiple dollars to evaluate.
This is the step that owners most often skip and most often regret. Original surfaces and natural toning are part of a silver dollar's numismatic value. Cleaning with any abrasive — including a soft cloth — creates hairlines visible under magnification. Coin dips remove toning but also strip original luster. Grading services detect cleaning reliably and designate it permanently in the holder. On key dates, a cleaned coin can lose 20–60% of its straight-grade value. If conservation is needed, contact a professional numismatic conservation service, not a household cleaning product.
The certification fee — typically $30–$65 for standard Economy-tier submissions on most coins — is the smallest line item in any key-date dollar transaction. The discount buyers impose on raw key-date silver dollars is a real, measurable market phenomenon: buyers who cannot independently verify grade or authenticity price in that uncertainty. On a coin worth $7,500 raw, losing even 15% to that uncertainty discount is a $1,125 penalty. Certification removes that penalty entirely. Submit at PCGS or NGC, not at third-party or local services, if the coin is to be sold nationally.
A common-date Morgan or Peace dollar sells fine through a local coin dealer, a coin show, or an eBay listing — buyers for 90% silver rounds are plentiful. Certified key-date coins — especially Morgans and Peace dollars above $1,000 — belong in a national auction environment: Heritage Auctions and Stack's Bowers both run specialized dollar-coin sessions where competitive bidding produces verifiable market prices. GreatCollections handles mid-range certified coins efficiently with lower seller fees. Do not sell a genuine key-date certified silver dollar through a local dealer without first checking what comparable slabbed examples are realizing at major auction.
Price guides and auction archives both move. The values in this article reflect data from dossier research, but prices on key silver dollars — especially Morgans and early series — can shift meaningfully with market conditions, major collection dispersals, or grading-service population changes. For complete grade-by-grade pricing on any U.S. coin, Coins-Value.com maintains the most comprehensive independent value reference available, with 20,000+ U.S. and Canadian coin entries.
Frequently Asked
Regular-issue US dollar coins from 1794 through 1935 are 90% silver, with the Trade dollar on its own 27.22-gram standard. The Eisenhower dollars (1971–1978) used copper-nickel clad for circulation; the modern golden-color Sacagawea, Presidential, and Native American dollars use manganese-brass over copper and contain no silver at all. If your coin is dated 1935 or earlier and matches the physical specs — weight, diameter, and reeded or lettered edge — it is almost certainly 90% silver.
Start with the date and mint mark. Common Morgan dates from 1921, common Peace dollars from 1922–1923, and common no-mintmark Seated or Trade dollars in circulated condition are typically worth $30–$60 above melt — useful, but not exceptional. The coins that command significant premiums are specific key dates: 1893-S Morgan, 1889-CC Morgan, 1928 Peace, 1921 High Relief Peace, 1873-CC Trade, and any early dollar from the Flowing Hair or Draped Bust era. Check the date and mint mark against a current PCGS Price Guide before concluding that your coin is or is not a key date.
In a typical inherited collection, the most likely high-value find is a key-date Morgan dollar — especially an 1893-S, 1889-CC, or 1893-CC — or a 1928 Peace dollar. An 1893-S in VF30 sold at Heritage for $7,500 in August 2023; even lower-grade examples are four-figure coins. Early dollars from the Flowing Hair or Draped Bust era are dramatically valuable if genuine, but they are also uncommon in typical estate collections compared to the Morgan and Peace era.
The 1893-S had a mintage of only 100,000, and the survivor population at every grade level is thin relative to collector demand. Every serious Morgan date-set builder needs one, which creates consistent competitive pressure on any available example. Recent Heritage results illustrate the range: VF30 at $7,500, XF40 at $14,400, MS63 CAC at $444,000. Grade matters enormously — a 'minor' three-point grading difference in Mint State can represent a six-figure price gap.
Yes. Both types were struck in 1921. The Morgan dollar returned for a final year of production in 1921 and is the most common Morgan date by far. The first Peace dollars were also struck in 1921, but only in the distinctive High Relief type with more pronounced three-dimensional design elements. The 1921 Morgan is worth melt plus a small premium; the 1921 Peace High Relief is a key date worth significantly more. Look at the reverse: Morgans have an eagle with arrows and olive branch and no 'PEACE' inscription; Peace dollars have 'PEACE' prominently below the eagle.
No — cleaning almost always reduces numismatic value, sometimes dramatically. Grading services (PCGS and NGC) detect cleaning reliably and designate it permanently in the holder as 'Improperly Cleaned' or 'Details.' A cleaned key-date silver dollar can lose 20–60% of its straight-grade value permanently. If a coin looks dirty or toned, have it evaluated by a numismatic conservation professional before doing anything to the surface. Heritage's archive for an improperly cleaned 1893-S Morgan shows exactly what the market does with a problem coin: it still sold because it is a key date, but it sold at a substantial discount.
Send it in if it is any early dollar (Flowing Hair, Draped Bust, Seated Liberty), any Trade or CC-mint Morgan, a Peace dollar key date, a coin that might be a major variety, or any coin that could be worth more than a few hundred dollars. On genuine key dates, the certification fee ($30–$65 for Economy-tier standard submissions) is far smaller than the discount buyers impose on unslabbed key-date coins. Certification creates buyer confidence, removes authentication uncertainty, and eliminates the raw-coin discount entirely.
No. The CC mint mark adds collector interest across the board, but 'CC' does not automatically mean a premium price. Common-date CC Morgans like the 1882-CC, 1883-CC, and 1884-CC in circulated grades typically sell for $60–$150 — meaningful above face value, but not dramatic. The major premiums apply to specific key dates: 1889-CC is the headline example, where the combination of low survivor population and intense demand drives prices into five and six figures in Mint State.
Do not sell it raw, do not clean it, and do not assume it is genuine. PCGS notes that only 15 pieces dated 1804 are known, making any claimed example one of the most consequential authentication problems in US numismatics. Send it to PCGS or NGC immediately for authentication. The vast majority of coins presented as 1804 dollars are either different early dates, cast replicas, or altered digits. If it is genuine, the authentication process will confirm it; if it is not, you will have avoided a costly mistake.
Most ordinary examples are not valuable in the same way classic silver dollars are. These are modern manganese-brass collector and circulation coins with no silver content. Premiums come from specific varieties, unusual mint packaging, or very high Mint State grades — not from the material composition or historical rarity of the classic silver-dollar era. The U.S. Mint's own program documentation confirms these are modern series established with the Sacagawea dollar format.
Trade dollars were designed specifically for commerce in Asia and were struck to a heavier 27.22-gram standard versus the 26.73-gram standard of the contemporary Liberty Seated dollar. Both run through 1873 together, which is why the 1873-CC date is important in both series. Trade dollars also carry a distinctive seated figure with a different reverse eagle design and the denomination expressed as '420 GRAINS, 900 FINE' on the reverse. Weight alone (a $15 digital scale will do) is the fastest initial separation.
Independent numismatic reference covering all classic US silver dollars: Flowing Hair (1794-1795), Draped Bust (1795-1804), Seated Liberty (1840-1873), Trade Dollar (1873-1885), Morgan (1878-1921), and Peace (1921-1935). Values verified against PCGS Price Guide, NGC Price Guide, Greysheet CPG, and recent Heritage / Stack's Bowers / GreatCollections sales. We do not buy, sell, or appraise coins ourselves. Read our full methodology →