1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar - NGC MS65

An era tantalizingly lost in the mists of time from which great legends have grown, told time and again in film, books and song, when pioneers, prospectors, and frontiersmen moved westwards in search of a better life. It?s a time in which fortunes were swiftly made and sometimes lost. A time when one chance discovery left an indelible mark on American history ? the Comstock Lode. Hold a piece of American history in your fingertips with an 1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar - NGC MS65.

It?s a stage on which a number of characters are jostling for precedence, chief amongst them are Patrick McLaughlin and Peter O?Riley, prospectors working in Six Mile Canyon, close to Carson City. Down on their luck and about to give up their claim, they dug in search of water and instead found a rich dark earth that betrayed the signs of gold.

The gold reserves did not last long, and they brought no fortunes to those originally involved, who died poor, alone and in one case having lost their mind. But Comstock Lode had much more to give, and it took the veteran prospector J. F. Stone to unearth the real treasure hidden in its dark soil. For Stone had a sample of earth tested and found it contained huge quantities of silver. It was a discovery that was to galvanize a Silver Rush, which changed the course of American history by leading to the swift development of Nevada and ultimately the production of the Morgan Silver Dollar.

It was during this tumultuous era, at the height of the silver boom, that the Carson City Mint was founded in 1863, with the purpose of serving the nearby precious metal mines. It seemed a sensible proposition to have a branch mint close to the source of the silver, yet from the start, the Mint was mired by problems. Production was delayed until 1870, before getting underway for 15 years until there was a halt to their output for four years. Coins were produced again briefly between 1889 and 1893 when production at the Carson City Mint stopped altogether. It?s perhaps the transitory nature of their operation and their ability to evoke the old American West that makes Carson City coins so cherished today, so snap up this fine example, certified with a Mint State of 64.

This hefty coin has a total weight of 26.73g (0.859 troy ounces), and as it?s struck from 90 percent silver; it contains 0.77344 troy ounces of silver. The much-loved design shows a portrait of Lady Liberty on the obverse side, wearing a Phrygian cap. She is a symbol of freedom, emblazoned with the word ?Liberty? and decorated with symbols of American industry, sprigs of wheat, maple and cotton. Thirteen stars alluding to the original States of the Union, the phrase ?E. PLURIBUS UNUM? meaning ?OUT OF MANY, ONE? and the year of issue surround Liberty?s portrait. Look closely at Liberty?s neck, and you may make out the designer?s initial an ?M,? denoting that this coin was the work of George T. Morgan.

The reverse design features an eagle looking towards the left of the coin, with wings outstretched, framing the motto ?In God We Trust.? The heraldic eagle hovers above a partial wreath tied with a bow, surrounded by the wording ?United States of America? and the value of ?one dollar,? separated by stars and the tips of the eagle?s wings. Look closely at the left-hand loop of the bow to see the designer?s mark, a minuscule M; and below the tails of the bow, you?ll see the sought after CC mint mark. Your gateway to the American West, an 1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar - NGC MS65. Hold a CC mint marked Morgan Dollar in the palm of your hand and journey into the Old West.

? Carson City Morgan Silver Dollar
? ?CC? mintmark
? Mint state of 65
? Year of issue: 1884
? 90% Silver, 10% Copper
? Total weight of 26.73g
? Total weight of 0.859 Troy oz
? Contains 0.77344 Troy oz of silver