1921 Morgan Silver Dollar (Philadelphia) – 90% Silver – Final Year Issue – Choice Mint State (MS 62 – MS 63 / Radiant Cartwheel Luster)

Technical Breakdown & Attribution

• Denomination: $1.00 / ONE DOLLAR

• Series: Morgan Silver Dollar (1878–1921)

• Year of Issue: 1921 (Final year of the classic 19th-century Morgan design)

• Mint Facility: Philadelphia Mint (Identified by the absence of a mint mark above DOLLAR on the reverse)

• Mintage: 44,690,000 (Struck in massive quantities pursuant to the Pittman Act of 1918)

• Designer: George T. Morgan

• Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper (.900 Fine Silver)

• Precious Metal Content: 0.77344 Troy Ounces of pure silver

• Original US Mint Specifications:

  • Diameter: 38.1 mm

  • Official Standard Weight: 26.73 grams (Gross reading registers 26 g on a 1-gram resolution scale)

• Obverse Design: Profile bust of Lady Liberty facing left wearing a Phrygian cap decorated with wheat and cotton blossoms, inscribed "LIBERTY", encircled by 13 stars, "E PLURIBUS UNUM", and date 1921.

• Reverse Design: Heraldic bald eagle with outstretched wings clutching arrows and an olive branch within an open laurel wreath, surmounted by "In God we trust", framed by "UNITED STATES OF AMERICA" and "ONE DOLLAR".

Historical Significance & Design Nuance

1. The 1921 Redesign / Hub Nuances: Because the original 1878–1904 master dies were melted by the U.S. Mint in 1910, Chief Engraver George T. Morgan had to hand-cut entirely new hubs to resume production in 1921. This gives 1921 strikes their characteristic low-relief profile, wide denticles, and flatter eagle breast.

2. Blast-White vs. Toned Contrast: Unlike your previous toned 1921-P Morgan, this example retains its bright, brilliant white surfaces and intense radial cartwheel luster.

3. The Final Dollar of the Old Era: Coined alongside the debut of the 1921 Peace Dollar, marking the ultimate farewell to America's Gilded Age silver cartwheels.

Condition & Visual Grade Assessment

• Assigned Technical Grade: Choice Mint State (MS 62 – MS 63 / Radiant Cartwheel Luster)

• Preservation Highlights & Surface Profile:

  • Luster & Flash: Brilliant, untoned white surfaces displaying unbroken radial cartwheel flash across the open fields.

  • Strike & Detail: Full mint-state preservation; the fine hair details above the ear, the cotton bolls, and wheat sheaves show zero trace of circulation wear. The reverse exhibits sharp, frosty wing feathers and needle-sharp eagle talons.

  • Bag Marks & Contact: Shows light, minor contact reeding chitters and microscopic bag marks across Liberty's cheek and fields typical of business-strike silver dollars stored in original 1,000-coin canvas mint bags.

  • Rim & Denticles: Clean, sharp reeded edges and complete perimeter denticles without bumps, pinches, or edge gouges.