1883-S Morgan Dollar

The 1883-S Morgan Dollar was struck at the San Francisco Mint in 1883 and is part of the Morgan Dollar series.

Specifications

 * Designer: George T. Morgan
 * Obverse Design: Lady Liberty
 * Reverse Design: Eagle holding arrows and olive branch
 * Edge: Reeded
 * Weight: 26.73 grams
 * Diameter: 38.1 millimeters
 * Composition: Silver (90%), Copper (10%)
 * Mintage: Circulation Strikes: est. 6,250,000

Background
1883 marks the first year uncirculated coins are scarcer from the San Francisco Mint. This year's S-Mint and subsequent San Francisco Mint coins were apparently melted down in numbers ---making this coin's circulated coins more common.

Collecting
The 1883-S marks the first year in many when you have a difficult find. Accessible to AU-58, the Mint State coins for this year can get pricy ---spelling opportunity for the collector.

The 1883-S is usually seen with sharp features and quite attractive. The luster ranges from frosty to deep and is generally pleasing to the eye.

Prooflike coins of the 1883-S exist but most on one side of the coin only. These coins are sought-after by collectors so be careful with those individuals trying to pass off single-side prooflikes as fully prooflike.

Historical Background in 1883
On August 12, 1883, the last quagga dies at the Artis Magistra zoo in Amsterdam. The quagga (Equus quagga quagga) is an extinct subspecies of the plains zebra, which was once found in great numbers in South Africa's Cape Province and the southern part of the Orange Free State. It was distinguished from other zebras by having the usual vivid marks on the front part of the body only. In the mid-section, the stripes faded and the dark, inter-stripe spaces became wider, and the rear parts were a plain brown.

July 22, 1883, Zulu King Cetshwayo barely escapes a rebel attack with his life. Cetshwayo kaMpande (1826– 8 February 1884) was the King of the Zulu Kingdom from 1872 to 1879 and their leader during the Anglo-Zulu War (1879). His name has been transliterated as Cetawayo, Cetewayo, Cetywajo and Ketchwayo.

In 1883, the Kroger Co. founded. Kroger's headquarters are centralized in downtown Cincinnati, but it spans many states with store formats that include supermarkets, hypermarkets, department stores, convenience stores and mall jewelry stores. Kroger-branded grocery stores are located throughout the Midwestern and Southern United States.

Die Varieties

 * VAM-1 Normal Die
 * VAM-2 S Tilted Right
 * VAM-3 Doubled 18-3
 * VAM-4 Doubled 1-3
 * VAM-5 Doubled 18
 * VAM-6 Doubled 18-3
 * VAM-7 Tripled First 8, Doubled 1-3
 * VAM-8 Doubled 8-3
 * VAM-9 Doubled 18-3
 * VAM-10 Doubled Date
 * VAM-11 Doubled 18-3