1891-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar, PCGS MS65

David Bowers writes, "Mint State 1891-CC dollars are considerably scarcer than Carson City issues of the mid-1880s .... As most 1891-CC dollars are extensively bagmarked, by definition most are in lower grades. Accordingly, the issue is rare in MS-65 or finer..." This piece--with no bagmarks whatsoever--is indeed one of the those "rare in MS-65" Bowers discussed. Considering its population, this example would be the perfect addition to a Registry Set of Morgan dollars.

A majority of 1891-CC dollars were released into circulation in 1891 and thereafter, resulting in a plentiful amount of worn coins available to collectors today. Bags were most likely melted under the 1918 Pittman Act. Other bags were paid out in the 1940s and 1950s, reaching a mix of dealers, collectors, and the general public. Most were gone by the time of the 1962-1964 Treasury release. Miller writes, "The typical 1891-CC exhibits excellent luster with very frosty devices. Although usually well struck, flat struck specimens are not uncommon. Abrasions are usually heavy, and as such are the primary deterrent in locating a gem. The surfaces are often 'scruffy.' Consequently, gems have become very elusive." The specimen offered by AUCM is an anomaly--it is pristine, has no flatness, and not 'scruffy' at all. The GSA holdings of this date were slight: 5,687 or 0.35% of the original mintage. One interesting variety of 1891-CC is the VAM-3, the so-called "Spitting Eagle." However, don't be hoodwinked into paying a premium for this coin. It is not rare. In fact, it is the most common of the 1891-CC varieties.