1887 Silver Dollar Value Checker: Errors List, “O”, “S” & No Mint Mark Worth

1887 Silver Dollar value ranges from $1.00 face value to $78,000. That record was set by a graded MS-63 example that sold at Stack’s Bowers in November 2024 — a dramatic off-center error coin that pushed prices far beyond what a typical 1887 Morgan commands. Yours could tell a completely different story, so upload your coin photo below for a quick value range. Then scroll down to see what 1887 Silver Dollars are actually selling for on eBay right now.

 

1887 Silver Dollar Value By Variety

Mint mark alone doesn’t set the price. Surface designation — standard, Prooflike, or Deep Mirror Prooflike — can create a huge gap between two coins that share the same date and mint.

If you know the grade of your coin, you can find the exact price below in the Value Guides section.

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

 

Top 10 Most Valuable 1887 Silver Dollar Worth Money

New Orleans coins own the top of this list. Three separate 1887-O examples in MS66 have sold for $78,000, $69,000, and $61,688 respectively. The New Orleans issue gets genuinely scarce once you hit gem territory, and survivors up there are far harder to locate than mintage figures suggest.

The 1887-S in MS66 follows at $58,800. San Francisco struck far fewer coins that year, and the ones that survived in high grade are tough to pry loose.

Proofs fill out the upper tier. Only 710 proof dollars left Philadelphia in 1887, and one graded PR68 brought $51,750 at Heritage Auctions.

The overdate variety 1887/6-O in MS65 sold for $37,375, while the top Philadelphia business strike — an MS63 — reached $78,000 at Stack’s Bowers in November 2024. That’s the current auction record for the Philly issue.

 

History Of The 1887 Silver Dollar

The Bland-Allison Act of 1878 forced the Treasury to buy millions of dollars’ worth of silver every month and turn it into coins. That’s what created the Morgan Dollar in the first place.

George T. Morgan designed the Liberty portrait. From day one, production was driven by law, not demand. Millions of silver dollars rolled off the presses each year, but paper dollars were easier to carry. Most Morgans went straight into bags and sat in Treasury vaults for decades.

The 1887 issue was no different. Philadelphia actually broke its own production record that year, piling even more coins onto an already massive stockpile. Most 1887 dollars were bagged and stored the same day they were struck.

Here’s the fun part: those stored coins trickled out over the next 75 years — in 1938, through the 1940s, in December 1954, and into the early 1960s. That’s why so many uncirculated 1887 examples are still floating around today.

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

 

Is Your 1887 Silver Dollar Rare?

The chart above might surprise you. A Philadelphia coin in MS63 is everywhere, but slap a DMPL designation on that same date and suddenly you’re looking at a completely different kind of rare. Mint marks, grades, and surface types all pull rarity in different directions for this date. The free daily evaluation on Coin Identifier and Value App gives you a clearer picture of exactly where your coin stands.

 

Key Features Of The 1887 Silver Dollar

The 1887 Silver Dollar uses the same Morgan design as every other year in the series. But if you look closely, there’s a lot packed into 38 millimeters of silver.

Knowing these design details matters for grading. The high points on both sides are exactly where graders look first for wear and contact marks.

The Obverse Of The 1887 Silver Dollar

You’ll see the familiar left-facing Liberty head that defines the Morgan series. She wears a Phrygian cap wrapped with a ribbon inscribed “LIBERTY,” topped by a crown of wheat and cotton — two crops that drove the 19th-century American economy.

Morgan wanted an American face, not the usual Greek goddess look. His friend, artist Thomas Eakins, pointed him to Anna Willess Williams of Philadelphia as a model. Morgan called her profile the most perfect he had ever seen.

The motto “E PLURIBUS UNUM” arches across the upper half of the obverse rim, and the date “1887” is centered at the bottom adjacent to the rim. Seven stars appear on the left side between the date and the inscription, while six stars fill the right side — thirteen in total, representing the original colonies.

The Reverse Of The 1887 Silver Dollar

Flip it over and you’ll find a heraldic eagle dominating the reverse. Here’s what to look for:

• Eagle — center of the design, wings outstretched, facing right
• Olive branch — clutched in the eagle’s right talon, representing peace
• Three arrows — clutched in the eagle’s left talon, symbolizing the nation’s ability to defend itself
• Laurel wreath — partially encircles the eagle below
• “IN GOD WE TRUST” — inscribed above the eagle’s head in Gothic script
• “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” — arching around the upper rim
• “ONE DOLLAR” — at the bottom of the reverse
• Mint mark — appears on the reverse above the “DO” in “DOLLAR”, present on New Orleans (“O”) and San Francisco (“S”) issues; Philadelphia coins carry no mint mark

Other Features Of The 1887 Silver Dollar

The 1887 Silver Dollar has a diameter of 38.10 millimeters and weighs 26.73 grams. The coin contains 90% silver and 10% copper, with a pure silver content of 0.7734 troy ounces. Its thickness is 3.1 mm.

The edge is reeded — parallel ridges running around the circumference. Standard anti-counterfeiting measure for U.S. silver coinage of the era.

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

 

1887 Silver Dollar Mintage & Survival Data

Philadelphia cranked out 20,290,000 coins in 1887 — a series high at that point. About 2,000,000 survive today. That’s roughly one out of every ten coins struck, which is why you can still find raw examples at just about any coin show.

New Orleans struck 11,550,000. Most were melted, but enough sat in Treasury vaults through the early 1960s to leave around 1,000,000 survivors.

San Francisco’s mintage of 1,771,000 was far smaller, yet its survival rate of roughly 10% actually edges out the other two mints. San Francisco coins from this era tend to be better struck and better preserved, which helps explain that.

The Proof and CAM issues are a different world entirely. Only 710 Proof coins were struck in 1887, sold directly to collectors. Around 290 Proof and 250 CAM pieces survive today — a survival rate above 35% for both. These were handled with care from day one.

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

 

The Easy Way to Know Your 1887 Silver Dollar Value

Three things drive what your 1887 Morgan is worth: mint, surface designation, and condition. A San Francisco coin commands a very different price than a Philadelphia coin in the same grade. Add PL or DMPL surfaces and the gap widens even more.

Reading all three accurately takes practice. The Coin Identifier and Value App uses AI image recognition to identify the coin, cross-reference mint data, and return a grade range along with a current market value estimate — all from a photo taken on your phone. It’s a practical starting point before any buying or selling decision.

 

1887 Silver Dollar Value Guides

Five distinct types cover the full 1887 Morgan lineup — from common circulated Philly coins to some of the rarest collector pieces in the series. Each has its own pricing, its own scarcity profile in higher grades, and its own collector base:

• 1887 No Mint Mark Silver Dollar — the most common variety of the year, widely available across all grades
• 1887-O Silver Dollar — more valuable than the Philadelphia issue, with high-grade examples commanding strong premiums
• 1887-S Silver Dollar — one of the key semi-key dates in the Morgan Dollar series, with lower survivorship in top grades
• 1887 Proof Silver Dollar — specially struck collector coins with mirror-like fields, never intended for circulation
• 1887 CAM Silver Dollar — a highly collectible proof variety with frosted devices, sought after by dedicated collectors

Proof Morgans from any year are rare and expensive. For business strikes, grade and surface designation are what separate a $30 circulated piece from one worth thousands.

 

1887 No Mint Mark Silver Dollar Value

Here’s a tip if you’re shopping for one of these: cherrypick for strike quality. The 1887 Philadelphia issue often comes softer than its 1886 counterpart, so a sharply detailed example is worth the extra hunting.

At MS63, expect to pay between $90 and $120 for a slabbed coin. The value curve gets steep at MS66 and above, where luster and strike become the deciding factors. MS67 is scarce. MS68 is extremely rare, with only a handful known.

PL and DMPL surfaces add a whole separate collecting dimension. A PL example graded MS67 sold for $8,100 at Heritage Auctions in 2019, while a DMPL in MS66 brought $9,000 at Heritage in October 2025.

The wildest result? An MS63 example realized $78,000 at Stack’s Bowers in November 2024. That shows how much eye appeal and pedigree can move the needle, even on a common-date coin.

If you’re building a type set or just getting started with Morgans, an MS64 or MS65 Philadelphia coin offers strong value for the grade.

Past auction records for this issue are listed in the table below.

The chart tracks how market prices have moved over the past twelve months.

 

1887-O Silver Dollar Value

Most people assume a coin with 11.5 million mintage should be easy to find in nice condition. Not this one. In MS60 through MS63 the 1887-O is common enough, but at MS64 it gets scarce — only 3,000 to 6,000 estimated survivors. Fully struck MS65 coins? Hundreds at best.

The typical Mint State example is beat up with bag marks, shows dull luster, and has a mushy strike. That’s exactly what makes a well-struck, original-surface 1887-O so rewarding when you find one. At MS65, you’re looking at around $2,500. At MS66, that jumps to $28,000.

DMPL examples are the real prizes from New Orleans. In MS65 DMPL or higher, the 1887-O is very rare. An MS66 DMPL is priced at $65,000 in the current guide. The gap between an average specimen and a gem-quality one is enormous — I think this is one of the best condition-rarity stories in the entire Morgan series.

The table below documents every major auction result for this issue, from circulated grades through the top of the population.

If you want to see how the market has responded to those results in real time, the activity chart covers the past twelve months.

 

1887-S Silver Dollar Value

Here’s something counterintuitive: the 1887-S has a lower mintage than the 1887-O, yet it trades for less in Mint State. More high-quality survivors were preserved than the raw numbers suggest. That pricing puzzle makes it one of the more interesting coins in the 1887 date set.

Most San Francisco coins entered circulation fairly quickly. The 1887-S is scarce in Mint State and rare at MS66 and above, with the majority of survivors distributed before Treasury vaults were emptied in the early 1960s.

An AU58 already commands $135–$145 — two to three times what a Philadelphia coin brings at the same grade. That premium accelerates fast into Mint State. The auction record stands at $58,800 for an MS66+ example sold at Stack’s Bowers in 2018.

At MS66 and above, these are genuinely hard to source. When one surfaces, registry set collectors tend to push realized prices well past guide values.

Given how rarely gem-quality examples appear, the auction table below is worth reviewing carefully — the spread between grades tells its own story.

The chart shows where prices have been heading over the past year, which matters more for this issue than most.

 

1887 Proof Silver Dollar Value

Only 710 Proof Morgan dollars were struck at Philadelphia in 1887. About 500 survive in any condition. These were sold directly to collectors and struck with specially prepared dies on polished planchets — deeply mirrored fields, razor-sharp devices.

Most examples you’ll encounter fall in the PR60–PR64 range. PR65 and above gets scarce. PR67 or higher? A handful at most.

The auction record is $51,750 for a PR68 example sold at Heritage Auctions in August 2011 — the finest confirmed at that grade. Only one PR68 is known. If a PR69 ever surfaced and got certified, we’d expect it to approach $85,000.

Proof Morgans struck from 1878 through 1887 are generally well-made, and the 1887 is one of the more visually refined examples from that early run.

Complete auction records document historical prices across all grades.

Market activity from the past year clearly shows its appeal to collectors.

 

1887 CAM Silver Dollar Value

Not every Proof coin earns the cameo designation. It depends on what happens at the very start of the striking process.

Cameo contrast shows up on roughly 20–30% of Proof Morgans struck through 1901. It happens when freshly prepared dies still carry enough frosting on the devices to pop against the polished fields. As a die gets used, that frost wears off. That’s why CAM examples are a subset, not a guarantee.

Most 1887 Proof survivors top out around PR64. Many show cleaning or hairlines from decades of mishandling. Finding a CAM example with original surfaces, clean fields, and real contrast takes patience.

The market reflects that difficulty. Most CAM examples trade in the $2,650 to $14,500 range, but a PR67 CAM sold for $31,200 at Heritage Auctions in April 2021. The spread between a dipped, worn survivor and a clean gem with strong contrast can be tens of thousands of dollars.

Because CAM examples vary so widely in eye appeal and surface quality, the realized prices in the auction table below cover a broad range — grade alone doesn’t explain the spread.

The market chart gives a clearer picture of where demand has been sitting recently.

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

 

Rare 1887 Silver Dollar Error List

The 1887 Morgan is one of the most variety-rich dates in the whole series. Across all three mints you’ll find overdates, repunched dates and mint marks, doubled dies, die breaks, and clashed dies. Many have earned spots on the Top 100 or Hot 50 lists.

If you enjoy cherrypicking, this date gives you plenty to hunt for.

1. 1887-S VAM 2 S/S Error

This is the Top 100 variety for the 1887-S. The “S” mint mark was punched into the die more than once, leaving a ghost of the first impression around the edges of the final mark.

To spot it, look at the mint mark on the reverse just above “DO” in DOLLAR. You’ll see remnants of the first punch at the top and bottom serifs of the primary “S.” A 10x loupe makes attribution easy once you know where to look.

The PCGS certified population is tiny — just 18 examples attributed at MS65, with a single MS66 finer. The 1887-S already starts from a low mintage base, so finding a well-preserved S/S in Mint State takes real effort.

2. 1887 Doubled Date Error

Both Philadelphia and San Francisco produced doubled date varieties in 1887. The Philadelphia VAM 5 is a Top 100 variety — the entire date was punched twice with a slight rightward shift, leaving a secondary impression across the “18” and “87.” This is different from the 1887/6 overdate because both impressions come from the same year. No underlying digit from a prior date.

The San Francisco VAM 11 shows similar doubling and carries an R4 rarity rating. Scarce in all grades, genuinely hard to find in Mint State.

The Philadelphia VAM 5 has a modest certified population at MS65, with only a handful confirmed by PCGS. For both varieties, mid-uncirculated grades offer a more attainable entry point without losing the visual punch of the doubling.

3. 1887/6 Overdate Error

This is one of the most collectible varieties the 1887 date offers. It exists at two mints: Philadelphia (VAM 2) and New Orleans (VAM 3).

What happened? Leftover dies from 1886 were repunched with the 1887 date instead of being scrapped — probably to save time, since sinking a new die took at least a week back then. The remnant of the earlier “6” sits beneath the final “7” in the date, visible under magnification.

These are tough in all grades. Around AU they get especially challenging, and at Gem and above they’re rare. PL examples are quite scarce, and DMPLs in the Gem range are truly rare. This variety has been in the Red Book for years.

The New Orleans overdate (VAM 3) carries an extra premium thanks to the mint mark. An MS65 1887/6-O sold for $37,375 at Heritage Auctions — still one of the benchmark results for this variety.

4. 1887-O Doubled Stars Error

VAM 5 is a Top 100 variety with doubled stars and motto on the obverse. It carries an R5 rarity rating — genuinely rare for this date.

Check the inner and outer tips of the left and right obverse stars under a 10x loupe. The motto doubling gives you a secondary confirmation point when attributing.

New Orleans coins from this era tend to come weakly struck and covered in bag marks, so a well-struck VAM 5 with clean surfaces is a meaningful find. PL and DMPL examples exist but are rare in any grade. One MS65 example can be sold for $2,700 now.

5. 1887-O VAM 2 Double 1 Triple 7 Error

This is one of the most visually dramatic date-repunching varieties in the entire 1887 series. The whole date was doubled with a shift to the right. The top points of the original “1” peek out to the left of the new “1,” and the “7” is tripled — doubling at the top plus a dot of metal to the left of the crossbar. It’s been described as one of the largest date-doubling shifts known in the Morgan series.

Francis Klaes discovered it in June 1963. It’s a Top 100 Morgan VAM. When attributing, be careful to distinguish it from VAM 3, where the repunching shows more on the outside of the “7” rather than the inside.

PL and DMPL surface designations exist for this variety, though high-grade DMPLs are especially tough given the 1887-O’s general tendency toward dull, weak strikes. Auction records show one example achieved $840 in MS64 condition in 2023.

6. 1887-OVAM 22A DDO Pitted Rev Error

This Top 100 variety gives you two die features on one coin: a doubled die obverse and a pitted reverse. The obverse doubling shows on Liberty’s portrait. The reverse has small raised bumps from die deterioration — the die was used well past its useful life.

That pitting isn’t random damage on individual coins. It’s baked into the die itself, so every coin struck from that die pair shows it. That consistency is what makes it attributable and earns it a Top 100 spot alongside the obverse doubling.

VAM 22A is recognized by PCGS and comes in standard, PL, and DMPL surfaces. High-grade examples in any finish are scarce. DMPL examples are very rarely offered.

7. 1887 VAM 12 Alligator Eye Error

This is one of the best-known Top 100 VAMs in the entire Morgan series — and one of the most fun to hunt for. The name comes from a doubled cornea on Liberty’s eye that looks like an alligator’s nictitating membrane. A trained eye can spot it without magnification.

A slight error in the die-making process created an extra parallel line to the right of Liberty’s eye. You’ll also see doubling on portions of LIBERTY on the headband and some letters in PLURIBUS.

This variety is relatively common. Over a thousand examples are certified in Mint State, making it one of the most accessible Top 100 entries for new collectors. If you find one in MS66 condition, it can be worth around $650-$1,150.

It appears in both the Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties book and the Cherrypicker’s Guide, Vol. II — the two go-to references for Morgan variety collecting.

8. 1887 VAM 1B Partial E Rev Error

This Hot 50 variety was created by clashed dies — the obverse and reverse dies struck each other with no planchet between them, transferring part of one design onto the other.

The result is a partial “E” from LIBERTY on the obverse, transferred to the reverse near the eagle’s tail feathers, left of the wreath bow. Maurice Dubreuil discovered it in November 1974. Finding a clashed E on an 1887 dollar is on just about every serious variety collector’s hit list.

This VAM is virtually unknown in Mint State. Most certified examples show up in circulated grades. Even a strong AU specimen counts as a solid find. The clashed letter shows best on the reverse with good lighting and an unpolished surface.

9. 1887 VAM 25A Donkey Tail Error

The name says it all. A prominent die break at the bottom curve of the “D” in DOLLAR creates a small tail-like extension hanging down from the letter. Die breaks form when a crack develops in an overused die and metal flows into the fracture under striking pressure. Every coin from that die shows it.

This is a Top 100 variety and one of the more visually distinctive die breaks in the Morgan series. To attribute it, look at the “D” in DOLLAR on the reverse for the downward extension at the bottom of the letter’s curve. Easy to spot.

A PCGS MS63 Donkey Tail example has been recorded selling for $5,760. That’s a meaningful premium on what is otherwise one of the most common Philadelphia issues in the series.

 

Where To Sell Your 1887 Silver Dollar?

Once you know what you have and what it’s worth, picking the right sales channel matters. Dealers, auction houses, and online platforms each work better for different situations.

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

 

1887 Silver Dollar Market Trend

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

 

FAQ About The 1887 Silver Dollar

1. How much is an 1887 Silver Dollar worth today?

It depends on mint and condition. A Philadelphia example in Good grade is worth $84, while an 1887-O DMPL in MS condition can reach $3,472.

At the top end, auction results go much higher. An MS66+ 1887-S sold for $58,800, and a single MS63 Philadelphia example reached $78,000 at Stack’s Bowers in November 2024 due to exceptional eye appeal and pedigree.

2. How do I know which mint struck my 1887 Silver Dollar?

Flip the coin to the reverse and look just above the “DO” in DOLLAR. An “O” indicates New Orleans, an “S” indicates San Francisco, and no mint mark means Philadelphia.

Philadelphia struck the most coins that year — over 20 million — so no-mint-mark examples are the most commonly encountered. New Orleans and San Francisco issues are scarcer in gem condition and generally command higher premiums.

3. What is the rarest 1887 Silver Dollar variety?

Among business strikes, the 1887-S PL and DMPL are among the rarest, ranked in the Transcendent tier with rarity scores of 100 and 98 respectively. The 1887-O DMPL is also exceptionally scarce in gem grades, rated Divine at 90.

The 1887 CAM Proof is one of the hardest to find with original surfaces and genuine contrast. Only about 250 CAM examples survive from the original 710-coin Proof mintage.

4. What is the difference between the 1887 Proof and the 1887 CAM Silver Dollar?

Both come from the same 710-coin Proof mintage at Philadelphia. The CAM designation means the devices — Liberty’s portrait and the eagle — show frosted contrast against the deeply mirrored fields.

That frosting only happens on coins struck from freshly prepared dies at the start of the production run. As the die gets used, the frost wears off. That’s why CAM examples are a subset, not a separate strike.

Standard Proofs trade mostly in the $2,650 to $14,500 range depending on grade, while a PR67 CAM sold for $31,200 at Heritage Auctions in April 2021.

5. What is the 1887 Alligator Eye error and how do I find it?

The 1887 VAM 12 Alligator Eye is a doubled die obverse variety. Liberty’s eye shows a doubled cornea — an extra parallel line to the right — along with doubling on LIBERTY and some letters in PLURIBUS. It’s a Top 100 Morgan VAM.

Bold enough to spot without magnification if you know what you’re looking for. In MS66 condition, examples are worth approximately $650 to $1,150.

6. How do I tell if my 1887 Silver Dollar is a Proof or a business strike?

Proof coins have deeply mirrored fields and razor-sharp devices — a look that’s immediately different from a business strike’s cartwheel luster. They were struck on polished planchets with specially prepared dies.

Only 710 were made in 1887, and about 500 survive. Once you’ve seen a real Proof Morgan next to a business strike, you won’t confuse the two again.

7. What is the 1887/6 overdate and how do I identify it?

Leftover 1886 dies were repunched with the 1887 date instead of being scrapped. The remnant of the “6” sits beneath the final “7” in the date. It exists at both Philadelphia (VAM 2) and New Orleans (VAM 3).

You’ll need at least 10x magnification to see the “6.” The New Orleans version commands a higher premium — an MS65 1887/6-O sold for $37,375 at Heritage Auctions. Tough in all grades, rare at Gem and above.

8. Why is the 1887-O Silver Dollar worth more than the Philadelphia issue in high grades?

New Orleans coins are notorious for weak strikes, dull luster, and heavy bag marks. The 1887-O had a mintage of 11,550,000, but fully struck MS65 examples number only in the hundreds. That’s a textbook condition rarity.

Philadelphia coins are far more common in Mint State. Three separate 1887-O examples in MS66 have sold for $61,688, $69,000, and $78,000 respectively.

9. How many 1887 Silver Dollars still exist today?

Approximately 2,000,000 Philadelphia examples survive from the original 20,290,000 struck — a survival rate of around 9.86%. New Orleans has roughly 1,000,000 survivors from 11,550,000 struck, while San Francisco has an estimated 180,000 remaining from 1,771,000.

The Proof and CAM issues are far scarcer. Only about 290 standard Proof examples and 250 CAM examples are estimated to survive from the original 710-coin Proof mintage, giving both a survival rate above 35%.

10. Is the 1887 Silver Dollar a good investment?

Common circulated examples won’t make you rich. The 1887 is one of the most accessible Morgan dates, which keeps prices modest at lower grades.

The real investment case is condition rarity. Coins at MS66 and above, or PL and DMPL surfaces in gem grades, are genuinely scarce with a strong auction track record. The 1887-O DMPL and 1887-S PL and DMPL rank among the rarest varieties of the year. The Proof and CAM coins offer a fixed, shrinking pool of survivors. I’d say targeting certified examples in the top population tiers is a much smarter play than chasing common circulated pieces.