PCGS MS67+
PCGS MS67
- PCGS #:
- 7262
- Designer:
- George T. Morgan
- Edge:
- Reeded
- Diameter:
- 38.10 millimeters
- Weight:
- 26.73 grams
- Mintage:
- 2,562,000
- Mint:
- San Francisco
- Metal:
- 90% Silver, 10% Copper
- Auction Record:
- $49,938 • MS67+ • 10-15-2015 • Legend Rare Coin Auctions
Die Varieties
- 1899-S $1 VAM 1
- 1899-S $1 VAM 1, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 1, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 2
- 1899-S $1 VAM 2, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 2, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 3
- 1899-S $1 VAM 3, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 3, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 4
- 1899-S $1 VAM 4, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 4, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 5
- 1899-S $1 VAM 5, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 5, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 6
- 1899-S $1 VAM 6, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 6, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 7, Doubled Date TOP 100
- 1899-S $1 VAM 7 Doubled Date TOP 100, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 7 Doubled Date TOP 100, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 8
- 1899-S $1 VAM 8, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 8, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 9
- 1899-S $1 VAM 9, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 9, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 10
- 1899-S $1 VAM 10, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 10, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 11
- 1899-S $1 VAM 11, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 11, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 12
- 1899-S $1 VAM 12, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 12, DMPL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 13
- 1899-S $1 VAM 13, PL
- 1899-S $1 VAM 13, DMPL
Rarity and Survival Estimates Learn More
| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 256,000 |
| 60 or Better | 40,000 |
| 65 or Better | 1,900 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-1.8 |
| 60 or Better | R-2.6 |
| 65 or Better | R-4.6 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 49 / 117 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 42 / 117 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 59 / 117 TIE |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 49 / 117 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 42 / 117 TIE |
| 65 or Better | 59 / 117 TIE |
Condition Census What Is This?
|
#1 PCGS MS67+
As PCGS MS67 #5628980. "The Morris Silverman Collection," Heritage Auctions, April 25, 2002, Lot 4258 - $12,650; "The Amherst Collection of Morgan Dollars," Bowers and Merena, November 13, 2007, Lot 2343 - $24,150. As PCGS MS67+ #28286137. "The Coronet Collection," Legend Rare Coin Auctions, October 15, 2015, Lot 18 - $49,937.50; Wurt Collection (PCGS Set Registry). Attributed by Bowers and Merena as a VAM-7 with off-register repunched date. Champagne gold with prominent die cracks along the tops of the obverse lettering and running horizontally across Liberty's neck. Frosty surfaces. |
#1 PCGS MS67+
"The Alan Gary Tyler Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Champagne patination with russet toning along the obverse periphery. |
#3 PCGS MS67
As PCGS MS67 #83778200. Stack's Bowers, October 25, 2018, Lot 2098 - $17,400; Heritage Auctions, August 24, 2022, Lot 3973 - $14,400. As PCGS MS67 #52651546. "The Black Diamond Registry Set of Morgan Dollars with Varieties," GreatCollections, September 14, 2025, Lot 1900684 - $23,062.50; "The Sterling Hill Registry Set of Morgan Dollars," GreatCollections, March 8, 2026, Lot 2078965 - $15,194.25; "The Burke Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Peach and apricot toning blends with blue, green, and gold. Slight rim push over B in PLURIBUS. |
|
#3 PCGS MS67
GreatCollections, December 28, 2025, Lot 2004020 - $21,094.88. A faint hint of champagne color washes across the obverse, while the reverse retains most of its original silvery-white brilliance. A small tick is visible in the field above stars 11 and 12. Die cracks have formed at the top of the letters from E to P in E PLURIBUS, as well as along the top of the letters bordering the reverse. |
|
#3 PCGS MS67
Jack Lee; GreatCollections, June 16, 2024, Lot 1585998 - $37,968.75. Nearly brilliant, with only scattered dollops of unobtrusive golden toning. A small die crack extends from the bust truncation over the "18" in the date. Additional die cracks run across the tops of the letters on the reverse. |
#3 PCGS MS67
David Lawrence Rare Coins, November 28, 2021, Lot 5456 - $18,750; "The Real Coug Best Morgan $ Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Lemon yellow patination with hints of olive along the right obverse periphery. There is a fleck of golden orange toning near the top of the eagle's right wing. |
#3 PCGS MS67
Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2020, Lot 4275 - $14,880. Heritage attributes the coin as VAM-14 based on the mintmark placement and a die break on the wreath near the N in UNITED. Brilliant. |
#3 PCGS MS67
Heritage Auctions, August 16, 2015, Lot 4214 - $37,600; Legend Rare Coin Auctions, May 17, 2018, Lot 117 - $49,937.50. Fully brilliant with nearly Prooflike surfaces. Light marks around the arrows. |
|
#3 PCGS MS67
"The Shrike Set - The Karschner Collection of Morgan Dollars," Heritage Auctions, April 21, 2011, Lot 5682 - $19,550. Golden-silver patination. Small toning streak between Stars 3 and 4. |
|
#3 PCGS MS67
"The Sanderson Family Collection," Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2009, Lot 5054 - $14,950. Brilliant. A toning spot is visible to the upper right of star 2. Reeding marks appear on the eagle's chest, and there is an abrasion between the top of the right-side wreath and MER in AMERICA. |
#3 PCGS MS67
Frank Brozzetti; "The Brozzetti Hoard" (PCGS Set Registry). Brilliant. A faint reeding mark is visible to the right of stars 6 and 7. There is a thin, arced mark below NUM in UNUM and a thin mark above the LL in DOLLAR. |
#3 PCGS MS67
Jeff Runquist; "The Zinfandel Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Faint yellow-gold patination. A thin diagonal mark is visible across the back of Liberty's cheek, with another diagonal mark appearing in the field to the right of the arrows. |
#3 PCGS MS67
"The JP's Morgans Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Antique peach toning washes over the obverse and reverse, accented by scattered areas of robin’s egg blue and olive green along the periphery. Only faint contact marks on Liberty’s jaw disturb her portrait. |
Numismatic Information
Hoard coins: A steady stream of Uncirculated 1899-S dollars-singly, in groups, and by the bag was paid out by the San Francisco Mint during the period from 1942 through the mid-1950s. By the time of the great Treasury release of 1962-1964, only a few bags were left. It is said that the Redfield hoard had a bag of high quality coins (per Wayne Miller) or less than a full bag, in MS-60 to 63 (per John Highfill), probably from the San Francisco Mint in the 1950s via casino shipments to Nevada.
Circulated grades: In worn grades the 1899-S is scarce, a situation not reflected by market values as Mint State coins are not rare-and keep the price of circulated grades down. A number of AU coins, once popularly called "sliders," are known, many of which were taken from Treasury bags.
Mint State grades: Mint State coins are slightly on the scarce side and compare with 1898-S in this regard. Despite their somewhat elusive nature, enough 1899-S dollars remain that examples can be obtained with little difficulty.
As per the distribution curve of most other Morgans, most 1899-S dollars are found at the lower condition levels, MS-60 to 62, which contain about 15,000 to 25,000 coins-equal to fully half of the known pieces. MS-63 coins number about 6,000 to 10,000, above which are 3,500 to 6,000 at the MS-64 stage. MS-65 and finer coins exist to the extent of about 1,000 to 2,000.
The typical 1899-S dollar is very well struck and has excellent lustre. Bagmarks, when present, are usually minimal. Apparently, most coins were not tossed around during storage for many years at the San Francisco Mint.
Prooflike coins: PL coins are plentiful, and probably at least a couple thousand or more exist. DMPL coins are, perhaps, three times scarcer, or so the NGC and PCGS data indicate.
Most PL and DMPL pieces are brilliant and have relatively few bagmarks. Most DMPL coins are not cameos.
Varieties
Business strikes:
1. Open 99, medium S, Breen-5661, VAM-1, 3-7, 10, others; Open 99, large wide S, Breen-5662, VAM-2, 8, unlisted (repunched S). Often seen in Mint State. Most of the Treasury hoard coins are of the Open 99 style.
2. Closed 99, large wide S, Breen-5663, VAM-9. Usually in low grades. Note: Probably not all 20 pairs of dies were used.
Dies prepared: Obverse: 20; Reverse: 20
Business strike mintage: 2,562,000; Delivery figures by month: January: 336,000; February: 336,000; March: 550,000; April: 284,000; May: 500,000; June: 510,000; July: 46,000; August: none; September: none; October: none; November: none; December: none.
Estimated quantity melted: Probably over 1,000,000 under various acts; more in later private melts.
Availability of prooflike coins: Prooflike coins are plentiful; so much so, that in the early 1980s they did not command a premium over regular Mint State coins. DMPL coins are several times scarcer than prooflikes. Cameo coins are great rarities.
Characteristics of striking: Usually well struck with excellent details and lustre.
Known hoards of Mint State coins: Bags were released in the 1940s and 1950s; a few bags were released 1962-1964; the Redfield hoard is said to have contained up to a bag.
Commentary
Most Mint State 1899-S dollars are well struck and very attractive.
Additional Information
Distribution of Dollars
The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint, 1899, told of distribution of silver dollars during the fiscal year: San Francisco. In mint July 1, 1898,48,324,220; coinage, fiscal year 1899, 4,248,000; total 52,572,220; In mint July 1, 1899, 51,962,686; total, 51,962,686; distributed from mint, 609,534.
The 1899-S Morgan Dollar
The San Francisco Morgan Dollar issues, so plentiful in Gem Mint State during the early years of the series, become quite elusive throughout the 1890s and early 1900s. The San Francisco Mint struck 2,562,000 1899-S Morgan Dollars (PCGS #7262), but over 1,000,000 were eventually culled via the Pittman Act and private melts.
| 1899-S Morgan Dollar Production | |||
| January | 336,000 | February | 336,000 |
| March | 550,000 | April | 284,000 |
| May | 500,000 | June | 510,000 |
| July | 46,000 | August-December | None |
| Total: 2,562,000 | |||
Production focused almost entirely on the first six months of the year, followed by a final trickle of 46,000 coins in July. From the total mintage, only 609,534 coins were released into circulation; the remainder was held in storage. This explains why so many were available for melting and why the date is so rarely encountered in circulated grades.
Collecting the 1899-S Morgan Dollar
Despite this scarcity, the 1899-S Morgan Dollar is characterized by high quality; most Mint State examples feature a sharp strike and retain excellent luster. Many coins exhibit Prooflike surfaces, which explains why PL examples command little to no premium. Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) specimens, however, command a 3x premium through the PCGS MS64 grade and can reach 10x the value in higher grades.
Vintage Market Snippets
A steady stream of 1899-S Morgan Collar bags was released by the San Francisco Mint from 1942 through the mid-1950s. By the peak of the Treasury releases (1962–1964), this stockpile was nearly exhausted, as evidenced by the date’s scant representation in the Redfield Hoard. Q. David Bowers posits that the 1899-S Dollars Redfield did possess were likely sourced from 1950s casino shipments.
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