1884-O Morgan Silver Dollar NGC MS65

Morgan Silver Dollars and New Orleans

The New Orleans Mint had struck silver dollars in a few different years before the beginning of the Civil War, but had not minted any of the large coins since the war ended. This would be the first year of production of these large silver coins in New Orleans since the beginning of the Reconstruction.

The number of silver dollar coins minted in New Orleans would grow from the first year of mintage throughout the entire following decade, making this first-year issue a little tougher to find than the New Orleans minted Morgan silver dollars of the 1880s.

Why so long with no New Orleans silver dollars?

New Orleans is in the Deep South, which means it was in territory claimed by the Confederate States in the Civil War. Their last production year of silver dollars prior to the 1879-O Morgan Silver Dollars was in 1860 - just before the Civil War.

During the Civil War the Confederates took control of the New Orleans Mint to make coins for their new country, but had no need (or metal) for silver dollar production. When control of New Orleans was returned to the United States in 1865, years of reconstruction were forthcoming before the mint would be ready to return to minting coins. The Bland Allison Act of 1878 made their services necessary the following year, so the New Orleans Mint returned to making silver dollars again after a nearly two-decade hiatus

The Mint State 65 grade

This coin is graded Mint State 65 (MS65) by the Numismatic Guaranty Corporation (NGC). This means that professionals have evaluated this coin as genuine with original color and luster, and that it has a minimal amount of contact evidence so as to not to effect the eye appeal of the coin to great detriment. Professionally graded coins are well protected, and are easier to sell at the grade stated because of the trust placed in the grading service by collectors and dealers.