My Intercept has a hole for the 95. Anyhow I was looking at mintages and such and realize that the folks at Intercept must have a weird sense of humor. In any case there are some interesting stories about the real mintages for this coin. Even a ship wreck that took down 12,000+ I would love to stumble on that wreck. I would like to hear waht some of the CT members say about the 95.
The 1895 as a Proof only issue is probably THE key coin in the Morgan series. As such it is always included in all folders and holders for the Morgan set. Virtually every series of coins has that one or a few really scarce coins. Notice I didn't say rare. They are hard to come by most certaintly, but not impossible. As an example in the two cent pieces I collect, the first year 1864 proof has a mintage estimated at 100. Yes they are scarce, but they are out there, at a price. Don't give up, you can always say, my set is almost complete, only one to go. :thumb:
The original mint statistics for 1895 reported there were 12,880 Morgans struck, 880 proofs and 12,000 business strikes. There are a bunch of theories on the business strikes. Some say the 12,000 was a clerical error, and no coins were struck in 1895, the 12,000 coins being struck late in 1894 and some how wound up on the 1895 reports. Some say the 12,000 coins were struck, but they were all melted in one of the huge coin meltings. And there's also the theories they were just lost. No way to be sure what theory is right, lol, I like to still think they're out there somewhere, and someone (preferably me ) will find them someday. Btw, in 1984 ANACS certified a 1895 business strike, it was circulated, and many argued it was a circulated proof (which I believe it turned out to be).
IMO Since the 1895 Morgan is only known in proof, I personally don't consider it part of a "normal" set. To me a "normal" set is composed of only business strikes. If proof are to be considered part of the set then there should be about another 28 holes. The only difference between the 1895 proof and the others is that there is no known corresponding business strike for 1895. Therefore to me the key to the set is the 1893-S. But that's in part what coin collecting allows. You can make your own definition of a "set" AND you won't be wrong.
