Over 500 hundred million Morgan silver dollars were minted in the US between 1878 and 1904 in Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Carson City, Nevada. Production was suspended until 1921, when another 86 million Morgan dollars were produced in Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Denver. 1921 was the last year the Morgan was minted, as it was replaced in that year by the Peace dollar. Hundreds of millions of Morgan dollars were melted over the years for their silver content by both the government and private refiners. Those that remain tend to be in relatively good condition because the Morgan dollar didn't see much daily use in American commerce, except in the West. Key dates in the Morgan series include 1879-CC, 1884-S, 1889-CC, 1892-S, 1893-S, 1895, and 1895-O. Interest in Morgan dollars as a collectible coin took off in the 1960s. They remain some of the most popular collectible coins on the market. Many collectors of Morgan dollars focus on building sets. There are 96 date and mint combinations in a complete set of Morgan dollars. Rare date Morgans can cost thousands of dollars, but most collectors start with relatively low cost coins from more common dates, and build their collections slowly. In the current market, Morgans hold their value well. Popular demand for these silver dollars makes them more desirable to collectors than rarer, but less well-known, coins.
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