1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Coin Value: Errors List, “CC”, “O”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth

Here’s the full picture on 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar value: it starts at $1.00 face value and tops out at $192,000, with a Grade 66 example sold through Heritage Auctions in January 2023 setting that record. Yours might be worth more than you think — upload a photo below for a quick value range, then scroll down to see what recent eBay sales reveal about today’s market.

 

1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Value By Variety

Four mints struck the 1879 Morgan Dollar — Philadelphia, San Francisco, Carson City, and New Orleans — in standard business strikes, Proof-Like (PL), Deep Mirror Proof-Like (DMPL), and collector proof formats.

PL (Proof-Like) means the coin’s fields show some mirror-like reflectivity from being struck with fresh, lightly polished dies. DMPL (Deep Mirror Proof-Like) takes that further — intense mirror reflection visible from at least 8 inches, usually paired with frosty raised design elements.

If you already know the grade of your coin, use the Value Guides below to find an exact price.

Also Read: Top 100 Rarest Silver Dollar Coins Worth Money (Most Expensive)

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Worth Money

The king of 1879 Morgans is a Carson City coin. An 1879-CC graded PCGS MS66+ brought $192,000 at Heritage Auctions on January 12, 2023. PCGS has certified just 2 examples at MS66+ as of September 2025. That’s a true top-pop coin with almost no competition.

The 1879-O Proof specimens might be even harder to find. Only 12 were struck on February 20, 1879, to celebrate the New Orleans Mint reopening, and just four survive today. When one of these shows up publicly, expect near-$200,000 prices.

The 1879-CC VAM-3 Capped Die in DMPL is another heavy hitter. The top-pop PCGS MS64+DMPL CAC example sold for $120,000 at Heritage Auctions on January 10, 2023. And don’t overlook the 1879-S Reverse of 1878 — an MS66 brought $63,250 at Heritage Auctions, proving San Francisco coins from this year can deliver serious money.

The 1879-CC MS65+ from “The Breezy Palms Collection” sold at Heritage on July 17, 2025, for $40,800, showing demand for this key date isn’t slowing down heading into 2026.

 

History of the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar

The 1879 Morgan Dollar came out of a bitter fight over silver in American politics.

The Coinage Act of 1873 had effectively killed the silver dollar — Western mining interests called it the “Crime of ’73.” Congress pushed back with the Bland-Allison Act, signed February 28, 1878, after overriding President Rutherford B. Hayes’s veto. The law forced the Treasury to buy $2–$4 million in silver bullion monthly and turn it into silver dollars.

George T. Morgan, a British-born engraver hired at the Philadelphia Mint in 1876 as Assistant Engraver, designed the coin. He used Philadelphia schoolteacher Anna Willess Williams as his model for Liberty’s portrait. The first Morgan Dollar rolled off the press on March 11, 1878, at 3:17 p.m. President Hayes got coin #1; Treasury Secretary John Sherman and Mint Director Henry Linderman got the next two.

By 1879, production was ramping up fast. The big news: the New Orleans Mint reopened after being shuttered since 1861 at the start of the Civil War. Coinage started there on February 20, 1879, under Superintendent Henry S. Foote. A yellow fever epidemic had delayed things — experienced mechanics couldn’t get to the facility on time, as noted in the Annual Report of the Director of the Mint for 1879.

Carson City had a rough year. Washington realized that despite CC’s proximity to the Comstock Lode, silver bullion actually cost more there than in San Francisco, and shipping finished coins was pricier too. The mint got orders to wind down in January and halted production from March through June before starting back up.

The Bland-Allison Act gave way to the Sherman Silver Purchase Act in 1890, which required even bigger monthly silver buys. When reserves ran out, Morgan Dollar production stopped in 1904. Then the Pittman Act of 1918 authorized melting up to 350 million silver dollars to sell bullion to Great Britain during World War I. Over 270 million silver dollars went to the furnace — no records kept of which dates were destroyed. That’s why so many 1879 Morgans are scarce today.

Also Read: Top 100 Most Valuable Morgan Silver Dollar Coins Worth Money List

 

Is Your 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Rare?

Discover your coin’s true rarity with the Coin Identifier and Value App, which provides precise rarity scores and rankings across the entire Morgan Dollar series, helping you understand exactly where your 1879 Morgan stands among collectors worldwide.

 

Key Features of the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar

The 1879 Morgan is the second year of George T. Morgan’s iconic design, struck under the Bland-Allison Act’s silver-purchase mandate.

Business strikes came from Philadelphia (no mint mark), San Francisco (“S”), Carson City (“CC”), and — for the first time — New Orleans (“O”). Philadelphia also produced proofs for collectors, while the New Orleans presentation proofs are in a league of their own.

The Obverse of the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar

You’ll see a left-facing portrait of Liberty, modeled on Anna Willess Williams. She wears a Phrygian cap — a classical freedom symbol — decorated with cotton and wheat, representing the post-Civil War reunion of North and South.

“LIBERTY” runs across the headband on her forehead. “E PLURIBUS UNUM” arcs over the top, with 13 stars for the original colonies circling the design.

The date “1879” sits at the bottom. Look at the truncation of Liberty’s neck — that’s where you’ll find Morgan’s “M” initial. It’s a handy authentication checkpoint.

The Reverse of the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar

Flip it over and you’ll see a bald eagle with wings spread wide, gripping an olive branch in one talon and three arrows in the other. “IN GOD WE TRUST” appears between the wings.

“UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” runs along the outer rim, with “ONE DOLLAR” at the bottom. The mint mark sits above the “DO” in “DOLLAR.” Morgan’s “M” also shows up on the ribbon tying the wreath at the base.

Other Features of the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar

The 1879 Morgan is 90% silver and 10% copper, weighing 26.73 grams (412.5 grains) with 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver. It measures 38.1 mm across with a reeded edge.

Here’s the variety you need to know: the 1879-S comes with two different reverses. The Reverse of 1878 (Second Reverse) has a flat or concave eagle breast, and the top arrow feather runs parallel to the others. The Reverse of 1879 (Third Reverse) shows a rounder, convex breast with a clearly slanted top arrow feather. You can spot this difference without magnification on a decent coin. According to Q. David Bowers’s Silver Dollars & Trade Dollars of the United States (Bowers and Merena Galleries, 1993), six different Reverse of 1878 dies were used for part of the 1879-S run.

Also Read: Top 80+ Most Valuable Sacagawea Dollar Worth Money (2000-P to Present)

 

1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Mintage & Survival Data

Total production across all four mints in 1879 hit 27,560,100 coins. Philadelphia led at 14,806,000, San Francisco made 9,110,000, New Orleans struck 2,887,000 in its comeback year, and Carson City managed just 756,000. Philadelphia also turned out 1,100 proofs.

The survival stories couldn’t be more different from mint to mint.

The 1879-S has the highest survival rate at 21.32%. Most of its mintage sat in San Francisco Mint vaults through 1913, then trickled out over decades — big releases came in 1942, throughout the 1950s, and during the 1962–1964 Treasury silver dollar dumps. John Kamin estimated in The Forecaster (September 15, 1971) that roughly 10% of the entire original 1879-S mintage — nearly a million coins — came out in the 1962–1964 window alone. The Redfield estate hoard and Continental Illinois Bank hoard added even more to the supply.

The 1879-CC is the polar opposite at just 1.97% survival. PCGS estimates only about 14,900 coins survive from the original 756,000. To put that in perspective: the GSA Hoard — the biggest-known stockpile of Carson City Morgans — held only 4,123 examples of the 1879-CC. Compare that to hundreds of thousands from the 1880–1885 CC dates. Only 207 examples grade MS65 or higher across PCGS and NGC combined. The 1880-CC has 9,750 at MS65+, and the 1881-CC has 22,000. That tells you how much scarcer the 1879-CC is at gem level.

The 1879-O survival rate of 13.81% reflects a rough first year — many coins came off the press weakly struck due to production pressures. The Philadelphia issue sits at 10.10%, typical for the series after Pittman Act losses. That act (signed by Senator Key Pittman of Nevada on April 23, 1918) authorized melting up to 350 million silver dollars; over 270 million were destroyed, with no records of which dates went to the furnace.

Among proofs, the CAM (Cameo) designation shows a 61.82% survival rate, while DCAM (Deep Cameo) survives at just 3.64%.

Also Read: Top 40+ Most Valuable Presidential Dollar Coins Worth Money

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Value

You need four things to figure out what your coin is worth: mint mark, grade, surface designation, and originality.

Finding the mint mark: Flip the coin over and look just above the letters “DO” in “DOLLAR,” right below the wreath ribbon. No letter means Philadelphia. “S” is San Francisco. “O” is New Orleans. “CC” is Carson City — and that’s the one that gets your heart racing.

Understanding grades: The Sheldon Scale runs from 1 (barely recognizable) to 70 (flawless). For Morgans, the magic threshold is MS (Mint State) — zero wear. MS grades go from MS60 to MS70. Above MS65, prices jump fast. PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) are the two grading services you want. Their slabs confirm both grade and authenticity.

Checking for surface designations: PL (Proof-Like) coins have semi-reflective fields from lightly polished, fresh dies. DMPL (Deep Mirror Proof-Like) coins show intense, glassy mirrors visible from 8+ inches. DMPL Morgans can bring 3x to 10x the price of a standard coin at the same grade.

Preserving originality: Never clean your coins. Not ever. Two identically graded coins can sell for wildly different prices if one’s been cleaned. A cleaned 1879-CC in VF condition drew just $276 at auction, while a naturally preserved example at the same wear level brought $920. Graders can spot cleaning that’s invisible to you, and cleaned coins get stuck with “details” grades and lower values.

Recognizing attractive toning: Natural toning — silver slowly reacting with sulfur — can actually boost a coin’s value when it produces vibrant rainbow colors. Blotchy or dark toning hurts. Original rainbow-toned 1879-CC and 1879-S examples regularly pull premiums above standard certified prices.

I think the fastest way to get a solid read on your 1879 Morgan’s market value is the Coin Identifier and Value App — it analyzes your coin’s grade, mint mark, variety, and current market conditions in seconds.

 

1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Value Guides

• 1879 No Mint Mark Morgan Silver Dollar (Philadelphia)
• 1879-CC Morgan Silver Dollar
• 1879-O Morgan Silver Dollar (New Orleans)
• 1879-S Morgan Silver Dollar (San Francisco)
• 1879 Proof Morgan Silver Dollar (Philadelphia)
• 1879 Proof CAM Morgan Silver Dollar (Philadelphia)
• 1879 Proof DCAM Morgan Silver Dollar (Philadelphia)
• 1879-O 4 Known Proof BN Morgan Silver Dollar

Prices for the 1879 Morgan range from a few multiples of melt value in circulated grades all the way to six figures for top-pop rarities.

Grade matters most across every 1879 variety — especially at MS65 and above, where populations get thin and prices climb fast. Surface designation (standard, PL, or DMPL) adds another big layer of value on top of that.

 

1879 No Mint Mark Morgan Silver Dollar Value

At 14,806,000 coins, the Philadelphia issue is the workhorse of the 1879 date. No mint mark on the reverse means it came from Philly. This is your best entry point into the series if you’re just starting out.

Circulated examples trade around $50. MS60 pieces run about $95, and MS65 coins sit around $525. Nothing crazy — until you get to MS66 and above, where nearly 150 years of attrition has thinned the herd considerably.

Top-tier MS67 examples have brought up to $38,500 at auction. The PCGS population at MS67 is razor thin.

Where things get really interesting is surface designations. A DMPL Philadelphia coin — struck from the freshest, most polished dies — can command huge multiples. We’re talking $2,000–$4,000 for an MS65 DMPL versus $525 for a standard MS65. Same grade, completely different price.

Market activity score: 85/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 5 points from Jul 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1879-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Value

No 1879-CC has ever graded MS67. Not at PCGS. Not at NGC. That single fact tells you everything about this coin’s condition rarity.

Only 756,000 were struck across two separate production runs before Carson City shut down operations. Circulated examples run $200 to $3,200 depending on grade. High-grade uncirculated pieces command $8,000 to $24,000, with exceptional coins going much higher.

The population at the top is incredibly thin. As of September 2025, PCGS has certified only 2 examples at MS66+, NGC has certified only 1 at MS66, and CAC has stickered 2 at MS66.

Surface designations push prices into another stratosphere. PL examples can hit around $35,000 in MS65. The sole finest known DMPL — a PCGS MS64+DMPL CAC — realized $120,000 at Heritage Auctions (January 10, 2023). The clear-CC (non-rusted) variety has roughly twice the PCGS population of the Capped Die variety, but even so, hundreds of MS63 and MS64 examples exist, keeping those grade levels somewhat accessible.

If you own any 1879-CC in any grade, that’s a real accomplishment. Gem examples at MS65 and above? Those are genuinely tough to track down, even with deep pockets.

Market activity score: 84/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 1 point from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 86 (Sep 2026).

 

1879-O Morgan Silver Dollar Value

This was the first Morgan Dollar struck at the New Orleans Mint — the facility had been dark since April 1861 when Louisiana left the Union. Coinage kicked off February 20, 1879, under Superintendent Henry S. Foote, producing 2,887,000 pieces.

The Annual Report of the Director of the Mint for 1879 noted that New Orleans struggled to get enough silver bullion during its first year. Production was rushed to meet Bland-Allison Act quotas, and it shows — many surviving coins have weak strikes. Q. David Bowers described a lot of 1879-O survivors as “sliders” — coins that saw brief circulation before heading back to banks. Gem-quality pieces are genuinely scarce.

Standard MS65 examples run around $2,750. PL specimens range from $300 to $11,500 by grade. Top DMPL coins can reach $40,000. An MS66DMPL example achieved $34,800 at Heritage Auctions in January 2024 — collectors clearly want premium first-year New Orleans pieces.

Market activity score: 86/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 3 points from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 90 (Sep 2026).

 

1879-S Morgan Silver Dollar Value

Did you know that from 1879 through 1883, the San Francisco Mint struck nothing but silver dollars? No dimes, quarters, or halves — those were already oversupplied. That focused production gave the 1879-S its reputation for consistently sharp strikes and strong luster across its 9,110,000-coin mintage.

Most of those coins sat in Treasury vaults for decades. Big releases came in 1942, through the 1950s, and during the massive 1962–1964 Treasury dumps. The Redfield estate and Continental Illinois Bank hoards preserved even more in pristine condition.

The result: this is one of the easiest Morgans to find in high grades. Standard MS pieces range from about $72 to $312, while MS68 specimens command $3,600–$5,400. An MS68+ example achieved $32,900 at auction in December 2014.

DMPL 1879-S examples are reasonably available through MS65 but get tough above that. PCGS CoinFacts confirms MS66 DMPL pieces are genuinely scarce, with values reaching $14,500 and beyond.

The 1879-S Reverse of 1878 is the cherrypicking opportunity here — more on that in the Error and Variety section below.

Market activity score: 68/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 23 points from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 87 (Aug 2026).

 

1879 Proof Morgan Silver Dollar Value

Philadelphia struck 1,100 proofs in 1879 using polished dies and hand-picked planchets. These were sold directly to collectors — they never saw a cash register.

Over half the original mintage survives, so entry-level examples aren’t too hard to find. Most grade PR64 or below. PR65 and PR66 pieces are considerably scarcer, and PR67 is rare.

Even a PR63 runs above $4,000 — early-series proofs carry collector demand regardless. The real challenge isn’t finding one; it’s finding one with bold contrast, strong eye appeal, and original surfaces free from cleaning or hairlines.

Market activity score: 60/100 as of Oct 2026 — up 22 points from Jul 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1879 Proof CAM Morgan Silver Dollar Value

What does a $5,000+ Morgan proof look like? Frosted devices popping against mirror fields — like a cameo brooch in silver. That’s the CAM (Cameo) designation.

For 1879 proofs, the cameo look is actually the norm. These were struck from relatively fresh dies, so most survivors show that frost-on-mirror contrast. Non-cameo proofs are actually less common this year, while DCAM (Deep Cameo) makes up only a small fraction.

PR64 CAM examples typically range from $5,100–$5,400. PR65 reaches about $7,800. PR66 pieces command $9,000–$9,400. Most survivors fall in the PR60–64 range, so you’ll need patience for anything PR65 and up.

Market activity score: 35/100 as of Oct 2026 — down 3 points from Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 38 (Aug 2026).

 

1879 Proof DCAM Morgan Silver Dollar Value

Only 3.64% of surviving 1879 proofs earn the DCAM designation. That number alone tells you how special these are.

DCAM means deeply mirrored fields — you can see your reflection from inches away — combined with heavy white frost on the devices. These come from the very first strikes off freshly polished dies, before that die polish starts wearing down. Even within the small 1,100-piece proof mintage, only a handful achieved this level of contrast.

A PR66 DCAM example has realized $21,000 at auction. Standard proof prices for this year range from $775 to $11,500 depending on grade and designation. I consider these the most visually stunning 1879 Morgans you can own.

Market activity score: 35/100 as of Oct 2026 — unchanged since Jul 2026. Currently at its 12-month peak.

 

1879-O 4 Known Proof BM Morgan Silver Dollar Value

Twelve struck. Four survive. That’s the whole story in five words.

These were made on February 20, 1879, to celebrate the New Orleans Mint reopening after 18 years. Wayne Miller’s second edition of his Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook ranks this as the #1 branch-mint Morgan proof rarity.

You can authenticate genuine examples by looking for specific die diagnostics: an overpolished area at the back of Liberty’s neck leaving a distinct “island” of metal, faint die rust traces on “NUM” of “UNUM,” and a spot of die rust between the first tail feather and second leaf below.

One PR64 specimen realized $184,000 at auction in March 2010. That same coin had sold for $37,400 in 1995 — a 392% appreciation over 15 years. Another PR-64 example brought $176,250 in 2013. Six-figure demand for this issue isn’t going anywhere.

Market activity score: 35/100 as of Oct 2026 — unchanged since Jul 2026. 12-month peak: 37 (May 2026).

Also Read: 17 Rare Dollar Coin Errors List with Pictures (By Year)

 

Rare 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Error & Variety List

The 1879 Morgan has some fantastic cherrypicking opportunities — die-rust errors at Carson City, repunched mint marks at New Orleans, and important reverse design differences at San Francisco. Many of these weren’t widely known until specialists cataloged them in the 1980s and 1990s. Premiums keep growing as more collectors learn what to look for.

A “common” 1879 Morgan could be hiding a variety worth serious money.

1. 1879-CC Capped Die Morgan Silver Dollar

Here’s what happened: a die got stored in humid conditions, rusted, and that rust transferred to the struck coins as raised texture and filled-in areas around the CC mint mark. On a clear-CC example, the two C’s are sharp and clean. On the Capped Die, the mint mark zone looks rough and blobby.

PCGS CoinFacts notes the clear-CC variety has roughly twice the certified population of the Capped Die, so the Capped Die is moderately scarcer. Circulated examples run $160 to $3,850. Mint State pieces range from $4,250 to $50,000. PL examples bring $3,200 to $60,000, and DMPL Capped Die specimens command $7,200 to $120,000.

1879-CC VAM 3, Capped Die Morgan Silver Dollar

VAM stands for Van Allen-Mallis — Leroy C. Van Allen and A. George Mallis, who published Comprehensive Catalog and Encyclopedia of Morgan and Peace Dollars in 1971, cataloging hundreds of die varieties.

The VAM-3 has a great backstory. In late 1878 or early 1879, a reverse die was first punched with the older small CC mint mark. Before it was used, someone decided to apply the newer, larger CC punch — but positioned it too low. The tops of the original small CCs poke up above the larger ones, looking like little “caps” or “hats.” The Mint engraver tried to hide the mistake by tapping around the area with a blank punch. A press operator later added more damage. According to Van Allen-Mallis, 3rd edition, all of this created the distinctive capped look that gave the variety its name.

1879-O VAM 4/28 O/Horizontal O Morgan Silver Dollar

This is a Top 100 Morgan Dollar variety — recognized by both PCGS and NGC as one of the most collectible die varieties in the entire series. Somebody punched the O mint mark into the die sideways — rotated 90 degrees — then corrected it with a properly oriented O punch. You can still see remnants of the horizontal O inside the final mint mark.

PCGS CoinFacts cites numismatist Jeff Oxman of the Society of Silver Dollar Collectors, who notes the prevailing view calls this an “O over horizontal O,” though some specialists think it’s actually an O/O/O with impressions both north and south. Either way, it’s a fun one to cherrypick.

1879-S Reverse Of 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar

If you own an 1879-S, check the reverse before you do anything else. This is the variety that turns a $72 coin into a $63,250 coin.

It uses a holdover die from 1878. Look at the eagle’s breast — flat or concave means Reverse of 1878. The top arrow feather runs parallel to the others instead of slanting. On the standard 1879 reverse, the breast is rounder and that top feather clearly angles away.

John Highfill devoted a separate chapter to this variety in his 1992 book The Comprehensive U.S. Silver Dollar Encyclopedia. It’s on the Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties list.

Average circulated examples trade around $147. Uncirculated specimens range from $1,012 to $9,933. An MS66 sold at Heritage Auctions for $63,250 — serious money for what looks like a common San Francisco Morgan at first glance.

1879-S VAM Reverse of 1878 Morgan Silver Dollar

Six distinct Reverse of 1878 dies were used for part of the 1879-S run, creating multiple VAM varieties within this group. One of the most interesting is VAM-34B, discovered in September 2003.

Look for a vertical gouge in the base of the eagle’s left wing and a short die gouge running from the left edge of one of the upper cotton leaves. Most of the roughly two dozen known VAM-34B examples grade around Very Fine, so anything higher is a real find for variety collectors.

 

Where to Sell Your 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar?

Whether selling through auction houses, certified dealers, or online platforms, understanding your 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar’s specific variety, condition, and current market demand will help you achieve the best possible price.

Check out now: Best Places To Sell Coins Online (Pros & Cons)

 

1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Market Trend

Market interest: 20,870 collectors tracking this coin as of Oct 2026 — up 1,000 from Mar 2026. 12-month peak: 21,810 (Jan 2026).

*Market Trend Chart showing the number of people paying attention to this coin.

 

FAQ About the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar Value

1. What is the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar worth today?

Anywhere from about $50 for a worn Philadelphia example to $192,000 for an 1879-CC in MS66+ sold at Heritage Auctions in January 2023. Most circulated 1879 Morgans trade between $50–$200. Mint-state examples range from $95 (MS60 Philadelphia) to over $50,000 for high-grade Carson City specimens.

2. What factors most affect the 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar value?

Mint mark, grade, surface designation (standard/PL/DMPL), and originality (never cleaned). A “CC” mint mark immediately sets a coin apart. DMPL surfaces can multiply value 3x–10x over a standard example at the same grade. A cleaned coin can lose 50% or more versus an original-surface piece.

3. What is the difference between Reverse of 1878 and Reverse of 1879?

The Reverse of 1878 — found only on some 1879-S dollars — shows an eagle with a flat or concave breast and a top arrow feather running parallel to the others. The Reverse of 1879 shows a rounder, more convex breast and a prominently slanted top arrow feather. You can spot this with the naked eye on well-preserved coins.

4. How do I identify the 1879-CC Capped Die variety?

Look for a distorted, blob-like, or filled-in appearance around the CC mint mark. On clear-CC examples, the two C’s are sharp. On the Capped Die, the area looks rough and obscured with a bumpy field caused by die chips from repair work. PCGS CoinFacts notes the clear-CC variety is about twice as common as the Capped Die in certified populations.

5. Where is the mint mark on an 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar?

Flip it over. Look above the “DO” in “DOLLAR,” just below the wreath ribbon. No mark = Philadelphia. “S” = San Francisco. “O” = New Orleans. “CC” = Carson City — and the most valuable.

6. How many 1879-CC Morgan Dollars survive today?

PCGS estimates approximately 14,900 total survivors from the original mintage of 756,000 — a survival rate of just 1.97%. Only 4,123 appeared in the GSA Hoard, compared to hundreds of thousands of other Carson City dates from 1880–1885. As of September 2025, only 207 examples grade MS65 or higher across all grading services combined.

7. What are PCGS and NGC, and why does certification matter?

PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service) and NGC (Numismatic Guaranty Company) are the two most trusted third-party grading services. They authenticate coins, assign grades on the 1–70 Sheldon Scale, and seal them in tamper-evident plastic holders called “slabs.” For any 1879 Morgan worth more than melt value, certification protects both buyer and seller and typically boosts the auction price.

8. Should I clean my 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar before selling it?

Never. Not with polish, soap, water, or anything else. A cleaned 1879-CC VF example drew $276 at auction; the same coin with original surfaces brought $920. Graders detect cleaning invisible to you, and cleaned coins get “details” grades with lower values. Leave it alone.

9. What is the most valuable error on an 1879 Morgan Silver Dollar?

The 1879-CC VAM-3 Capped Die in MS64+DMPL CAC — the single finest DMPL certified by PCGS — realized $120,000 at Heritage Auctions on January 10, 2023. Among non-CC varieties, the 1879-S Reverse of 1878 in MS66 sold for $63,250 at Heritage Auctions. For pure rarity, the 1879-O 4 Known Proof at PR64 realized $184,000 in March 2010.

10. What happened to most 1879 Morgan Silver Dollars — why are so few in top grades?

Three things wiped out the population. Normal circulation wore down coins over decades. The Pittman Act of 1918 melted over 270 million silver dollars for Great Britain’s WWI silver needs — no records of which dates were destroyed. And the 1879-CC specifically was underrepresented in the GSA Hoard (only 4,123 pieces), so fewer survived in uncirculated condition than other CC dates. All of that created the condition rarity driving today’s premium prices.