| Why waste everyone's time? Let's skip
| |
| | toward a bullish future, I developed a
|
| the appetizers and get to the meaty stuff
| |
| | systematic approach. First, I researched
|
| right now: The Morgan silver dollars
| |
| | individual Morgan dollar retail prices as
|
| poised to increase the most in value in
| |
| | they existed in 1950, for a broad range
|
| the years ahead are the 1895, 1892-CC,
| |
| | of conditions, and entered this data on a
|
| 1894, 1878-CC, and the 1883-CC. Pretty
| |
| | computer spreadsheet. Moving forward in
|
| bold prediction, eh? At this point, the
| |
| | time, values from the years 1980, 1995,
|
| reader now has three options: (1) Stop
| |
| | and 2000 were likewise recorded.
|
| reading and act upon this information,
| |
| | Finally, estimated selling prices in 2005
|
| (2) Stop reading and get on with life, or
| |
| | were juxtaposed with counterpart data
|
| (3) Continue on, evaluate the analytical
| |
| | from those earlier years. Because
|
| approach to identify the "Top Five"
| |
| | grading terminology has evolved over the
|
| Morgan dollars, and then implement a
| |
| | 55 year period, certain assumptions were
|
| variation of (1) or (2) above. If you've
| |
| | made to progressively track price
|
| gotten this far, we encourage you to
| |
| | movements throughout the time spectrum
|
| continue on with option (3).
| |
| | (e.g. an "Uncirculated" value in 1950 is
|
| First, a little background info on the
| |
| | equivalent to the "MS-60" of today).
|
| Morgan silver dollar...
| |
| | For each date and condition, compounded
|
| The Morgan silver dollar is today one of
| |
| | annual return rates were computed from
|
| the most popular of all collector coins.
| |
| | 1950 to 2005. [Editorial note:
|
| First minted in 1878 following the
| |
| | compounded annual return rate is the
|
| passage of the Bland-Alison Act, the new
| |
| | accepted yardstick for comparing
|
| dollar was named after its designer,
| |
| | investment performance. Of course, coins
|
| George T. Morgan. Political pressure by
| |
| | do not grow at a guaranteed uniform rate,
|
| powerful silver mining companies, in a
| |
| | such as bonds do, but if a coin is
|
| gambit to stabilize the price of their
| |
| | purchased at a certain price, and that
|
| commodity at artificially high levels,
| |
| | price is compared with the value of the
|
| created the impetus driving the
| |
| | coin at some later date, the compounded
|
| legislative action. Bland-Alison led to
| |
| | annual return rate can be calculated for
|
| the overproduction of silver dollars,
| |
| | the time period in between]. Return rate
|
| resulting in millions of these unused
| |
| | computations were made from 1980 to 2005,
|
| "cartwheels" languishing in bank and
| |
| | 1995 to 2005, and 2000 to 2005. For each
|
| Treasury vaults. Indeed, few coins have
| |
| | Morgan dollar, the data was placed in
|
| ever been released under more dubious
| |
| | tabular format.
|
| circumstances than Morgan silver dollars.
| |
| | Next, I calculated a "composite" score
|
| Minting continued until 1904, and then
| |
| | for each date by averaging all the
|
| again for one more year in 1921, when the
| |
| | compounded return rates computed for that
|
| series finally came to a close.
| |
| | date. I then ranked all the "composite"
|
| For decades thereafter, Morgan dollars
| |
| | scores. The Morgan silver dollars with
|
| were largely snubbed by hobbyists. Many
| |
| | the highest scores are as follows:
|
| dates, including those in mint state
| |
| | Date: Score:
|
| condition, could be obtained for as
| |
| | 1895 11.37
|
| little as $1.00. This situation shifted
| |
| | 1892-CC 10.54
|
| dramatically in 1962, when the US
| |
| | 1894 10.43
|
| government began selling original
| |
| | 1878-CC 10.28
|
| 1000-piece silver dollar Treasury bags to
| |
| | 1883-CC 10.25
|
| the public at face value. Stories of
| |
| | So, it would appear, based on past
|
| rare dollar finds circulated widely,
| |
| | performance over a period of 55 years,
|
| touching off a veritable Morgan mania.
| |
| | the 1895 is the Morgan silver dollar with
|
| Within a matter of months, all but a
| |
| | the best hope of appreciating
|
| small fraction of the federally owned
| |
| | significantly in the years ahead,
|
| coins were transferred from government
| |
| | followed by the 1892-CC, 1894, 1878-CC,
|
| vaults to private hands, consequently
| |
| | and 1883-CC. Not surprisingly, dollars
|
| expanding the Morgan dollar collector
| |
| | of the Carson City Mint occupy 13 of the
|
| base far beyond anything seen previously.
| |
| | top 16 positions, thanks to persistent
|
| Since then, Morgan silver dollars have
| |
| | collectors scrambling for bona fide
|
| proudly perched themselves atop the
| |
| | artifacts of the romantic American West.
|
| catbird seat of the numismatic world.
| |
| | On the opposite end of the rankings,
|
| Their physical size, availability,
| |
| | Morgan silver dollars having the bleakest
|
| beauty, and historical significance have
| |
| | long term prospects include the 1898,
|
| consistently attracted herds of new
| |
| | 1899-O, 1884, and the 1888-O, followed by
|
| buyers. Numerous boom-turned-bust cycles
| |
| | the 1897 coming in dead last with a score
|
| have come and gone, sometimes driven by
| |
| | of 2.66.
|
| pure speculative motives, but from a
| |
| | Anyone whose dual objective is to acquire
|
| long-term perspective, most Morgan dollar
| |
| | Morgan silver dollars with a bullish
|
| prices have trended somewhat positive.
| |
| | future ought to begin looking at the "Top
|
| Unlike some controversial promoters in
| |
| | Five" above. Purchase coins in the best
|
| the past, I do not propose purchasing
| |
| | condition you can afford, but be sure the
|
| Morgan silver dollars simply as
| |
| | coins are clean, problem-free, and
|
| investment vehicles. However, for
| |
| | CERTIFIED by a reputable grading service.
|
| collectors hoping to satisfy their
| |
| | Be prepared to hold for at least five
|
| numismatic yearnings AND acquire coins
| |
| | years. Morgan dollars have skyrocketed
|
| destined to be worth substantially more
| |
| | in value in the last three years, so some
|
| in the future, Morgan dollars do present
| |
| | cooling off may be in order before the
|
| a few opportunities. As noted above, as
| |
| | next upward cycle.
|
| a whole, Morgans have gained moderately
| |
| | If a polling firm were to survey the
|
| in value over the years. The crucial
| |
| | population of US coin collectors, it is
|
| challenge, then, is to identify which
| |
| | very possible that Morgan silver dollars
|
| members of this series have enjoyed the
| |
| | would win the vote as the most appealing
|
| best growth patterns in the past. The
| |
| | coin in American coinage history. These
|
| underlying logic is clear: coins that
| |
| | beautiful coins have been the heartbeat
|
| have demonstrated the strongest gains
| |
| | of the hobby for many years, with no
|
| over a long period of time are the coins
| |
| | retreat in sight. Ironically, these same
|
| best positioned to show similar price
| |
| | coins spent the better part of a century
|
| advancements with the continued passage
| |
| | hidden away in government vaults, unseen,
|
| of time.
| |
| | unwanted, and unloved. My, how times
|
| In order to measure past performance and
| |
| | have changed!
|
| thus visualize Morgans most likely headed
| |
| |
|
