The 10 Most Valuable Silver Dollars

A common-date Morgan or Peace silver dollar – the most widely collected types of these coins -- can be worth anywhere from $25 to $35 in low grade to  $50 for a common date in MS60, $125 in MS65 and $700 in MS67, the highest grade for most dates. Continue reading to learn more about the 10 most valuable silver dollars.

Rare silver dollars

Then there are the truly rare silver dollars -- those that have sold for the highest amounts ever in auctions or private sales that have realized from several hundred thousand dollars to over $10 million! Their sale prices reflect how few examples exist of that issue in that grade, the role of the coin in numismatic history, the coin’s pedigree and other factors. For example, many are the finest known example of a coin that was not supposed to have been made.

There are many other rare silver dollars, but these are the most valuable coins for each main type of silver dollar based on actual sales.

Most valuable silver dollars

1794 Flowing Hair PCGS SP66

The U.S. coin that to date remains the one sold for the highest amount ever is the finest example of a 1794 silver dollar, which is widely viewed as the first silver dollar ever struck by the U.S. Mint. In January 2013 it brought $10,016,875, and it was recently offered for sale again but failed to meet its reserve price.

1804 Bust dollar NGC PF62

1804 dollars were actually struck in 1842 for use as gifts to foreign dignitaries during overseas State Department trade missions. These are three classes of 1804 dollars, which used to be the king of silver dollars before the 1794 coin sold for much more. In 2013 an NGC PF62 example of a Class 1 1804 dollar brought $3,877,500, while another example of a Class I sold for over $4 million in 1999.

1870-S Seated Liberty PCGS

No 1870-S dollars were made according to Mint records, but 12 are known to exist, including a mint state coin graded by PCGS that sold in 2003 for $1,092,500. Experts believe these coins were either made secretly by Mint employees like several of the great rarities, or they could have been made to mark to the laying of the cornerstone for the new San Francisco Mint on May 25, 1870.

1885 Trade dollar NGC PF66

Until 1908 it was believed that no Proof Trade dollars were made after 1883, but in 1908 a group of 1884 and 1885 Proofs were discovered. This coin, which is the finest known example sold for $3,960,000 in early 2019 and is one of only five examples known to exist. This coin was once part of the famous Louis Eliasberg collection. Since there are no records of how this coin came into existence, it is believed they were made secretly by Mint employees.

1884 Trade dollar NGC PF66

The second-finest known example of the ten 1884 Trade dollar Proof coins struck, which was also part of the Eliasberg collection, sold in the same auction in 2019 as the 1885 coin, realizing $1,140,000. 264 of the 1884 coins were struck but all but 10 were melted and legally acquired by a Mint employee.

Morgan silver dollars

1889-CC NGC MS68

The scarcest date struck at Carson City, the 1889-CC is truly elusive above MS64 with just one MS65 graded by PCGS and 5 by NGC. The two finest coins are one MS68 graded by PCGS, and one MS67 graded by NGC. The MS68 sold in July 2013 for $881,250. That coin was originally part of the famous Louis Eliasberg collection.

1886-O PCGS MS67+DMPL

Despite having an original mintage of over 10 million, 1886-O has been seen as scarce in mint state since the 1960s. And the date is also known for very poor strikes and luster. Only 3 coins have been graded MS65 including one MS65+, and the finest example of this date is the one coin graded PCGS MS67+DMPL that sold last month for $780,000. It previously sold in 1990 for $230,000.

1884-S PCGS MS68

Because most 1884-S dollars were released into circulation, and most of those that remained in government vaults were likely melted under the 1918 Pitman Act. As a result, mint state coins are scarce, especially coins graded MS65 and above that are truly elusive. NGC has graded just 2 coins MS65 and 1 MS67, and PCGS has graded one each at MS65, 67 and 68. The finest known example, the PCGS MS68 once owned by collector Jack Lee and silver dollar expert Wayne Miller, sold in November for $750,000.

One other Morgan dollar that has sold for a similar amount is the finest known example of the 1893-S, the lowest mintage coin of the series graded PCGS MS67, which realized $735,000 in 2018. One day one of these coins is likely to sell for over $1 million.

Morgan silver dollars for sale: At Bullion Sharks we have a wide variety of Morgan silver dollars you can chose from.

Peace dollars

1922 Matte Finish High Relief Proof PCGS PF67

Two of only 5-8 examples known to exist of this coin were sold in the same 2014 auction. The higher-grade PF67 coin realized $458,520 when sold by the family of a man to whom the daughter of former Treasury Secretary Raymond T. Baker had given the coin. Baker’s estate had included some trial pieces from this period when the Philadelphia Mint experimented with ways to lower the relief of the Peace dollar that encountered striking problems with the 1921 High Relief coin, but the tiny number of 1922 HR Proofs are not believed to be trial coins but rather may have been made for Chief Engraver George Morgan to sell to collectors.

1927-D PCGS MS66+

One of only 5 coins examples of the 1972-D Peace dollar graded by PCGS (with another 6 graded by NGC), this date normally comes poorly struck with dull luster but this amazing example with full cartwheel luster brought $176,250 in March 2019.

We also have plenty of Peace dollars for sale.