| Survival Estimate | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 138 |
| 60 or Better | 138 |
| 65 or Better | 18 |
| Numismatic Rarity | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | R-7.6 |
| 60 or Better | R-7.6 |
| 65 or Better | R-9.2 |
| Relative Rarity By Type All Specs in this Type | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 39 / 117 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 40 / 117 |
| 65 or Better | 32 / 117 TIE |
| Relative Rarity By Series All Specs in this Series | |
|---|---|
| All Grades | 39 / 117 TIE |
| 60 or Better | 40 / 117 |
| 65 or Better | 32 / 117 TIE |
#1 PCGS MS66DMPL
Ray Cassano; "The Arno Collection," Heritage Auctions, January 9, 2009, Lot 5055 - $26,450. Faint golden patination on this deeply mirrored gem. A thin mark is hidden above the Star and U in UNUM. |
|
#1 PCGS MS66DMPL
"The LeviRanchSet" (PCGS Set Registry). |
| #1 PCGS MS66DMPL |
|
#1 PCGS MS66DMPL
Graded in 1994. No public auction data. |
#5 PCGS MS65DMPL
As PCGS MS65DMPL #5459610. "A Gift of Undeserved Favor Collection," Heritage Auctions, August 1, 2008, Lot 2250 - $27,600. As PCGS MS65DMPL #14289460. Heritage Auctions, April 28, 2019, Lot 3803 - $20,400; Dell Loy Hansen; "The D.L. Hansen Morgan Dollars Prooflike - CAC Collection" (PCGS Set Registry). Brilliant. Faint diagonal streaks appear on Liberty’s jaw. A thin mark is visible below TRU in TRUST, and there is a rim hit below RIC in AMERICA. |
|
#5 PCGS MS65DMPL
The Naples II Collection; Heritage Auctions, February 1, 2009, Lot 1940 - $17,250. Silver white with russet toning spot in the cereal wreath in Liberty's hair. |
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.
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.
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.
* * *