1885 Morgan Dollar

The 1885 Morgan Dollar was struck at the Philadelphia Mint in 1885 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. 17,787,000
 * Proof Mintage: est. 930

Background
The 1885 Morgan Dollar had an incredibly high mintage of 17,787,000. These coins were common when they were minted an they're common, for the series, today. The Philadelphia Mint would produced the most Morgan Dollars of all the mints in 1885.

Collecting
The 1885 Morgan is accessible to MS-66 with MS-67 and higher commanding a premium for increasing rarity. Finding an 1885 in Mint State should not be a problem as these coins were minted in high numbers. Watch for hairline cracks in the coins surface as this is known to be in issue for the year. Also bagmarks can be a problem.

Prooflike versions of this coin are available and are in generally good condition. They're worth seeking out and in demand from collectors.

Historical Background in 1885
On January 20, 1885, L.A. Thompson patents the roller coaster. Thompson, La Marcus was an American inventor and businessman who was known as the "Father of the Gravity Ride" for his Switchback Railway at Coney Island, in New York City, the first gravity-powered roller coaster built in the United States.

On February 21, 1885, United States President Chester A. Arthur dedicates the Washington Monument. The Washington Monument is an obelisk near the west end of the National Mall in Washington, D.C., built to commemorate the first U.S. president, General George Washington. The monument, made of marble, granite, and bluestone gneiss, is both the world's tallest stone structure and the world's tallest obelisk, standing 555 feet 51⁄8 inches (169.294 m).

On March 4, 1885, Grover Cleveland succeeds Chester A. Arthur as President of the United States. Stephen Grover Cleveland (March 18, 1837 – June 24, 1908) was the 22nd and 24th President of the United States. Cleveland is the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms (1885–1889 and 1893–1897) and therefore is the only individual to be counted twice in the numbering of the presidents. He was the winner of the popular vote for president three times—in 1884, 1888, and 1892—and was the only Democrat elected to the presidency in the era of Republican political domination that lasted from 1861 to 1913.

Die Varieties
A number of die varieties exist for the 1885 Morgan Dollar.