On the hunt for a Morgan Dollar

Morgan dollars are among the most collected of US coins. They're big, beautiful, and readily available in pristine, mint-state condition.

I've been hunting intensively for a satisfactory specimen to add to my collection. This has been more difficult than I thought! I'm looking for a mint state example, preferably MS63 and up, with minimum "bag marks", and tastefully rim toned, not a blast-white specimen (though I like those, too.) I've gone through thousands and thousands of specimens online but so far haven't found exactly what I want. Oh, and my budget is under $500, which makes it a little bit more challenging.

I'm looking primarily to slabbed specimens since I don't want to end up with artificial toning or a fake. NGC or PCGS preferred.

What do you like in a Morgan dollar? Do you go for rare dates, super luster/PL surfaces, prioritize toning, prefer pure untoned surfaces, or gem grades? Or all of the above? I would love to see your own collection favorites, as I continue to hunt for one myself.

I'll start things off by posting one that got away. I let this one linger a little too long in my eBay shopping cart, and by the time I got serious about it it was gone. I hope whomever bought it is happy with it!

NOT MY COIN
(but a good example of what I'm looking for.)

 

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Everyone marches to the beat of a different drummer. You can find MS66 Morgans pretty easily with patience for less than $500, both PCGS and NGC. Years with plentiful beautiful strikes are 1879S, 1880S, 1881S, 1882S, 1886, 1887, 1896, 1899O, 1904O.

 

I have a number of them that I have purchased in high grades for under $500. Keep looking and you’ll find the right one.

 

Both are ungraded but very nice and I got them at a low cost from a dealer.

 

Here’s another raw one.

 

Good to know!
MS66 seems to be the grade threshold beyond which prices rise exponentially. I did find a couple nice 66+ coins but not with the sort of toning I want.

 

@Collecting Nut Those are fantastic!

 

Well there is toning, and then there is attractive toning. It's just like judging the grade on a woman who is about to turn the page into her mid 40's.

 

I was going to say something similar. For a blast white example or a lightly toned one, an MS 66 can be found for under $500. A nice MS 65 can be had for under $200.

 

Don't tell him what that 1903O is going to cost him. Looks like MS64 minimum.