1883-S $1 MS(PCGS#7148)

November 2025 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

8386

Grade

MS64

Price

3,840

Lot Description

This beautiful 1883-S silver dollar offers golden-copper peripheral toning around radiant frosty white centers. The surfaces are highly lustrous with a razor sharp strike from the rims to the centers. Although often overshadowed by the 1884-S, which is one of the more widely recognized condition rarities in the Morgan dollar series, the 1883-S is highly elusive in Mint State in its own right. The reason for this is certainly not a limited mintage, for the 1883-S was produced to the extent of 6,250,000 pieces -- certainly a respectable total for the type. Rather, the 1883-S is one of the comparatively few Morgan dollars that saw active circulation beginning in the 19th century. Indeed, worn survivors are plentiful in numismatic circles and can be obtained with ease. On the other hand, Mint State survivors are scarce in today's market. <p>This was not always the case, for during the 1950s and early 1960s, enough examples emerged from federal holdings that contemporary numismatists considered a Mint State 1883-S silver dollar to be a common coin. By the late 1960s, however, the supply dried up as the coins from earlier releases were absorbed by collectors and no other significant quantities were found apart from a partial bag in the estate of LaVere Redfield. With most of the Redfield coins in lower grades through MS-63, which also appears to be the case with many distributed by the federal government in earlier decades, the 1883-S is particularly elusive at and above the MS-64 level. This is one of the nicest survivors that we have handled in recently and is worthy of a premium bid.<p>