1886 Morgan Silver Dollar - 1886 Morgan S$1 PCGS MS63DMPL CAC. This Mint State, deep mirror, prooflike 1886 Silver Dollar has added eye-appeal because of its excellent strike. It comes in an OGH (old green holder). Full details are present on the hair above Libertys ear and the eagles breast feathers. The devices are covered with the whitest snow, and the fields are deep, dark mirrors. The contrast is both stark and beautiful. Just a few obverse abrasion marks keep this lovely piece from a higher Mint State grade. The CAC sticker confirms the grade and assures that this is a premium quality piece that fully deserves the assigned grade.

George T. Morgan designed the dollar. He was born on January 4, 1845 in Birmingham, England. Morgan attended the Birmingham Art School and won a scholarship to the South Kensington Art School. He worked as an assistant under the Wyons at the British Royal Mint. In 1876 Morgan immigrated to the United States and was hired as an assistant to William Barber at the United States Mint. Morgan reported directly to Mint Director Henry R. Linderman, whose office was moved to Washington D.C. in 1873, no doubt upsetting Engraver Barber and his son, Assistant Engraver, Charles Barber. Morgan was involved in the production of pattern coins from 1877 until his death in 1925. He designed varieties of the 1877 half dollar, the Schoolgirl dollar of 1879, and the Shield Earring coins of 1882. He became the seventh Chief Engraver in 1917 with the death of Charles E. Barber. Today, Morgan is most known for his design of the Morgan Dollar of 1878 to 1921. A recently found, although never released design was for the $100 Gold Union.

By some standards his career was a disappointment. He was an Assistant Engraver for over forty years and during that time designed only one regular issued United States coin, the famous Morgan Dollar. In 1917 Charles Barber died. Morgan, at age 72, finally became Chief Engraver.

With a mintage of almost 20 million pieces, one might think the 1886 dollar is common in all grades and conditions. However, at CAC as of October 2012 only one, the present coin, has been confirmed in MS63DMPL with 17 better. That means out of thousands of specimens graded by both PCGS and NGC, this is one of only a dozen and a half coins that have qualified for the CAC sticker.