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 Replies: 26 / Views: 3,361 |
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Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
Has anyone come across good reference material on the history of the Morgan dollar? Admittedly, I am not a history buff but I would really like to hear the stories a Morgan dollar might tell. For whatever reason, I've always thought of a Morgan dollar as a wild west coin. I know that's probably wrong but it just seems like a coin that would have graced many a bar in a gold rush town. Anyone know if I am way off on my history and would you care to share what the Morgan dollar might say? Edited by johnstac
02/25/2011 3:18 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
the Encyclopedia Of Morgan and Peace dollar Varieties has about 100 or so pages )may be quite a bit more than this) of nothing but history of the Morgan. It has everything from the reason they were minted to how they were minted to just about any other information you would ever want to know. Its just not all about VAM's, its everything about the Morgan and Peace dollars. The information is in the front of the book and after that it goes into the VAM's |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
Im reading the "Carson City" Morgan dollar book right now-- pretty cool Retired USAF 1983-2003
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
17884 Posts |
Quote:If a Morgan dollar could speak..... Most of them wouldn't have much to say "I struck in XXXX and immediately put in a bag. I sat in a vault somewhere for many years. A couple of times I was moved from one side of the vault to the other as we were counted. I was also moved once or twice from one vault to another. I got lucky in 1918. I was left behind while many of my sisters were taken away and melted down. A couple years later the vaults got crowded again with a bunch of new sisters dated 1921 and some new Peace dollars. We then slept in the vaults again until the early 1960's when we all left the vaults for smaller hoards in private hands around the country." |
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Pillar of the Community
3660 Posts |
Most excellent Conder.... MOST EXCELLENT.
John, if you want a wild west coin with some history, (even if it can't speak audibly), latch onto an 1878 CC in VG-VF, and then use your imagination.....
If it doesn't have the CC mint mark, it probably was not a wild west coin.
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Valued Member
 United States
327 Posts |
Thanks for the info guys, particularly Condor who stole my imagination! =) Kidding though. I guess as a separate topic I could ask what coin (particularly silver since that's all I can afford) would you consider to be synonymous (for lack of a better term), with the gold rush or wild west days.
Peace.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
when I think wild west I think Carson City coins, usually when I think Carson City I think Morgans, when I think of Jesse James robbing a train I see him carrying bags of Morgans off but I kind of have a one track mind. There were allot of Morgans stored away but there were also allot of them very well circulated and any time I see an old Carson City Morgan that is heavily circulated I can see some old cowboy flipping it to the bartender for a shot of whiskey
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Valued Member
United States
327 Posts |
Bryan, Is this the book you are referring to: http://www.amazon.com/Comprehensive...p/0966016823I've been looking for a good book on Morgans. Just want to make sure I have the right one. Thanks. John By the way, it was published some 14 years ago. Does VAM information change much? I don't know much about VAMS but I'm wanting to learn Edited by johnstac
02/25/2011 4:16 pm
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
That is it, like I said its not all about VAM's. The first140 pages is all about how they were minted and why and just about any other information you may want to know. I am not sure if this is the best book for information like this but it definitely does have allot of information in it, and if you ever get interested in VAM's it will server both purposes. You may be able to find it cheaper on ebay than it is on Amazon though. I don't think I paid that much for mine even though its been a few years since I bought it. Looked on ebay and here is the cheapest I can find right now http://cgi.ebay.com/Catalog-Morgan-...em2a0e41bbeb |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1510 Posts |
I think I seen a Morgan on the movie "Tombstone"
Retired USAF 1983-2003
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1388 Posts |
If a Morgan dollar could speak... Lady Liberty would probably complain about all the "split-ends" she got in her hair from circulation...  |
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Moderator
 United States
16677 Posts |
I often wonder that about my AG 1871-CC Half Dollar. How many wild saloons must it have been in, or, some of my Colonials. George Washington could have held this coin!
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1801 Posts |
When I look at my well circulated CC and S mint dollars I can't help but envision some rough and tumble cowboy riding into town and trading his hard earned silver for the company of a pretty saloon girl. I bet these coins could tell some wild stories.
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Bedrock of the Community
United States
14454 Posts |
Quote:
I think I seen a Morgan on the movie "Tombstone" it has been along time since I have seen that movie but I think I remember seeing one also in there. I wasn't even collecting the last time I saw that movie but I do think I remember seeing one. I know Two face on Batman used a Peace dollar to flip to decide if you would live or die |
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Moderator
United States
16677 Posts |
In "Tombstone", Val Kilmer is sitting at a table playing cards and if I recall, he is spinning it around on the table as a cowboy is accusing him of being a cheater. Kilmer's character, Doc Holiday, is about to kill this guy, then steal all the money :o
swcoin.ecrater.com
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Valued Member
United States
302 Posts |
My ideal Morgan dollar story would be. I was stuck in Carson City. I've made it out west. I've gone back and forth between pokerhands during the wild west days. I've got robbed a few times during train robberies. I used to pay rent for one whole month. I've been in a few bank robberies during the Great Depression. Then I went underground in a coffee can for a while. I've made a few friends in the coffee can from the 1700s-1850s. Then I was dug up by Cud WILD. |
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Replies: 26 / Views: 3,361 |
Posted 02/25/2011 09:46 am
