1881-O Morgan Dollar


The 1881-O Morgan Dollar

Morgan Silver Dollar dated 1881 and minted at the New Orleans branch of the US Mint. The coin is named after the designer, George T. Morgan, who at the time was United States Mint Assistant Engraver.

The 1881-O is easy to find and can usually be purchased at a reasonable price.

Mint marks can be found above the DO in DOLLAR. If no mint mark is present then the mint is Philadelphia, but in 1881 it may be CC (Carson City), S (San Francisco) or O (New Orleans).

The Obverse shows an image of Liberty, designed by George T Morgan.

The edge is reeded (milled).

The Reverse shows an eagle holding arrows and an olive branch, also designed by George T Morgan.

Image credit: Mountain View Coins.


Mintage: 5,708,000 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at US Mint - New Orleans.
Remember 1881 ?
In UK, Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal). It is time of the First Boer War. 1881 is a census year in the United Kingdom. The Natural History Museum opens in London. In fiction, Sherlock Holmes meets Dr John H. Watson for the first time (later told in Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet).
In USA, For the second time in American history (after 1841), the USA had three Presidents in one calendar year starting with Rutherford B. Hayes, then on March 4th James A. Garfield (who died in September after being shot), and on September 19th Vice-President Chester A. Arthur took over the Presidency. Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell form the Oriental Telephone Company. It's a memorable year for Western fans: The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral occurs in Tombstone, Arizona; Billy the Kid is shot and killed by Pat Garrett; and Sioux Chief Sitting Bull leads in the Indian Wars.
Category: Morgan Dollars

The Morgan Dollar was a USA silver coin minted from 1878 to 1904 and then again in 1921. It had a currency value of one US dollar. In 2021, a .999 Silver Morgan Dollar was released to mark the 100th anniversary of the last Morgan Dollar.

The name Morgan derives from the designer George T. Morgan (1845-1925). Morgan was originally from Birmingham, England, where he worked with William Wyon but moved to America in 1876 to become the assistant engraver at the US Mint. The image of Liberty was modelled by a Philadelphia school teacher named Anna Willess Williams.

Morgan later became Chief Engraver of the U.S.Mint from 1917 until 1925 and he is probably best known for the Morgan Dollar, although he designed many other coins too. You can see a small 'M' on the truncation of the neck.

The Morgan Dollar was brought about due to the Bland–Allison Act of 1878 and during the early days the coin was often referred to as the Bland Dollar (after Richard P. Bland who introduced the Bill), although some called it the buzzard dollar as they disliked the image of the eagle.

Specifications

  • Diameter: 38.1 mm
  • Thickness: 2.4 mm
  • Weight: 26.73 g
  • Edge: Reeded
  • Silver Content: 90% (Copper 10%)
In all, over 650 million Morgan Dollars were minted. They were made in five different mints:

  • Philadelphia (No mint mark, although modern coins use 'P')
  • New Orleans (Mint mark = 'O')
  • San Francisco (Mint mark = 'S')
  • Carson City (Mint mark = 'CC')
  • Denver (in 1921 only: Mint mark = 'D')

The Morgan Dollar remains a popular coin with collectors and investors.

We have a few articles on Morgan Dollars:

Which Mint: US Mint - New Orleans
The US Mint branch at New Orleans, Louisiana, produced coins between 1838-1861 and 1879-1909. It produced more than 400 million coins in gold and silver. The mint mark is 'O'.
Country of Origin: United States of America
The United States of America (USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a constitutional federal republic composed of 50 states. It's currency is the Dollar (USD $1) and that is equivalent to 100 cents.

The United States mints many famous coins in gold, silver and lesser metals. The USA has several Mints, such as Philadelphia, San Francisco, West Point (NY) and Denver.
If you don't see a coin in the list below try the Morgan Dollars page on eBay UK
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List items on:

1881 O Morgan Silver Dollar GOOD | Old 90% Silver Morgan Dollar Coin #M269
1881 O Morgan Silver Dollar GOOD | Old 90% Silver Morgan Dollar Coin #M269
£ 47.62
1881o  USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
1881o USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
£ 50.00
1881o  USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
1881o USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
£ 55.00
1881o  USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
1881o USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
£ 47.50
1881-O Morgan Silver One $1 Dollar Coin
1881-O Morgan Silver One $1 Dollar Coin
£ 28.00
1881 O US Morgan Dollar .900 Silver Coin
1881 O US Morgan Dollar .900 Silver Coin
£ 50.00
1881o  USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
1881o USA 0.900 SILVER MORGAN DOLLAR COIN
£ 47.50
1881-O AU+ Rainbow Toned Morgan Silver Dollar Flashy Colors AT 128
1881-O AU+ Rainbow Toned Morgan Silver Dollar Flashy Colors AT 128
£ 142.44

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