1885 Morgan Dollar (1885-P)


The 1885 Morgan Dollar (1885-P)

Morgan Silver Dollar dated 1885 and minted at the Philadelphia branch of the US Mint. There is no mint mark. The 1885-P is common due to the high quantity minted and easy to find.

The Obverse shows an image of Liberty, designed by George T Morgan. His initial 'M' is found on the truncation of the neck. The coin is named after the designer who at the time was United States Mint Assistant Engraver.

The edge is reeded.

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

In 1885, Mint marks can be found above the DO in DOLLAR. If no mint mark is present then the mint is Philadelphia, but it may be CC (Carson City), S (San Francisco) and O (New Orleans).

Image credit: Mountain View Coins (via mycoinpictures.com)


Mintage: 17,787,000 (may include coins in sets)
Minted at US Mint - Philadelphia.
Remember 1885 ?
Monarch is Queen Victoria. Prime Minister is William Ewart Gladstone (Liberal), then on 23 June it is Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury (Conservative). US President is Chester A. Arthur (R-New York) then on 4 March it is Grover Cleveland (D-New York). Charles Dow publishes the first edition of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. Professional football is legalised in Britain. Mark Twain publishes the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
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 - Philadelphia
The United States Mint, Philadelphia was founded in 1792. It has a mint mark of 'P' although the early coins minted there do not carry a mint mark. The 'P' was added to most coins after 1980.
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:

1885-P Morgan Silver $1 Dollar (Philadelphia mint)
1885-P Morgan Silver $1 Dollar (Philadelphia mint)
£ 45.00
1885 P Morgan Silver Dollar Uncirculated MS Coin
1885 P Morgan Silver Dollar Uncirculated MS Coin
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1885-P Morgan Silver $1 Dollar (Philadelphia mint) Scratched Next To Left Wing
1885-P Morgan Silver $1 Dollar (Philadelphia mint) Scratched Next To Left Wing
£ 75.00
1885 P Morgan NGCX 9.6 Red Core VaultBox Series 4
1885 P Morgan NGCX 9.6 Red Core VaultBox Series 4
£ 565.34
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1885 P Morgan Silver Dollar NGC MS-63
£ 75.82
1885-P NGC MS63^ STAR CAC MORGAN $ GORGEOUS BOLD COLORFUL RAINBOW TONED (VIDEO)
1885-P NGC MS63^ STAR CAC MORGAN $ GORGEOUS BOLD COLORFUL RAINBOW TONED (VIDEO)
£ 612.85
1885 P MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR $1 US COIN SEMI PROOF-LIKE QUALITIES BU UNC GEM MS++
1885 P MORGAN SILVER DOLLAR $1 US COIN SEMI PROOF-LIKE QUALITIES BU UNC GEM MS++
£ 84.56
1885 P PCGS MS62 | Silver Morgan Dollar - $1 US Coin | ANTIQUE WHITE
1885 P PCGS MS62 | Silver Morgan Dollar - $1 US Coin | ANTIQUE WHITE
£ 70.76

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