The Morgan silver dollar has become a popular coin to collect amongst both coin collectors and investors largely because they are so well documented and many of the high grade Morgan silver dollars have seen strong growth in recent years. Minted between 1878 to 1904 and then again briefly in 1921 they weigh 26.73 grams and have a composition of 90% silver and 10% copper.
The weight of the coin is important as it can be used to determine if you have a genuine Morgan dollar or one of the thousands of counterfeit Morgan coins created by professional counterfeiters. The high grade mint quality Morgan dollar coins should weight 26.73 grams. Fake Morgan dollars are usually slightly lighter as they use a lower grade of silver and the composition of silver to copper is usually lower.
If you have the opportunity you should physically weigh the coins. It is a good idea to obtain some digital scales and weigh each coin before making a purchase. If the coins are more than one one-hundredth of a gram less then 26.73 but the coin is in mint condition then there is a good chance it is a fake.
If you cannot physically weigh the coins, and have to rely on photographs ensure that you can see both the obverse and reverse of the coin. Another tactic used by dishonest online sellers is to use photographs from other auctions. Ask for more photographs of the coin and if the seller is unable to provide them, you should avoid making a purchase. Also be sure to obtain detailed reference photographs from coin books or online sources to compare.
One way of reducing the risk of purchasing an overvalued or fake Morgan dollar is to obtain a coin that has been graded by a professional coin grading service. These coins will be graded and stored within a slab. You should also carry out plenty of research and educate yourself on how to spot fakes.
