1881-S Morgan Dollar
Guidelines for Collecting:
The 1881-S Morgan dollar is the most available of the 1878 to 1904 mintmarked varieties in Mint State. It is likely that half of the original mintage— 6,000,000 or more coins—remain in grades MS-60 upward. The 1881-S is an ideal coin to add to a set to illustrate the Morgan dollar design. Strike is usually very sharp on all points and, in general, the San Francisco Mint deserves high marks for quality. Coins typically have a satiny, often prooflike, luster.
Availability in Circulated Grades:
Available in all grades from Fine to AU though the lesser grades often wind up in melting pots when the price of silver bullion increases dramatically.
Availability in Mint State Grades:
This is the single most available branch-mint date in the series in Mint State, 1878 to 1904. As noted above, this is an ideal Morgan dollar!
Availability in Proof:
None produced.
The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the March 2021 Auction, where it realized $5,520.
1881-S Morgan Dollar Auction Highlights
 NGC MS-68 DPL Sold for $27,600 View Lot 5051 |  PCGS MS-68+, CAC Sold for $18,000 View Lot 3052 |  PCGS MS-68+, CAC Sold for $10,500 View Lot 10094 |
