I have the feeling from what I've read that this is worth nothing beyond melt, but just thought I'd check. I have a silver dollar from 1899, which curiously is the only one in my little pile which was carefully enclosed in a cardboard case, as if someone thought it was particularly valuable, although it's very worn, not in good condition. But it has an O marking. Does that have any significance here? From what I can tell, it looks like it makes no difference. Just double-checking.
You need to post a pic, since value can vary greatly. Most Morgan silver dollars sell for a premium but that greatly depends on the year and condition. A dealer will always try to buy them at melt but would sell it at a significant premium. The less they pay for it, the more the charge, the more the profit. Of course this coin may be worth melt if it has significant damage, a low grade, and common.
That year and mint mark had a pretty high mintage but there is a micro O variety of that date/mint mark, could be perhaps why the coin was set aside protected. Where did you get your pile of coins though, were they inherited, etc? It could be that perhaps the coin was significant for some other reason to someone. Often times though that significance is lost to history when someone dies and the coins are then sold, etc without anyone knowing why that coin meant what it did to whomever had saved it originally.
Sorry, I don't have a picture yet. I don't have a camera, and I didn't bother with this coin yet because I figure there's no value. But I believe you'd consider the condition to be quite poor. The lettering is all very clearly legible, but most of the detail is gone from the woman's hair, for instance, and the top of the eagle's wings. Most of the rim detailing is gone, too. This is just a random handful of coins I inherited, and I have the feeling that the only reason it's in a protected card is because someone thought to buy a silver dollar at random without thinking of its collectibility. I'd say that "lost to history" just about sums it up.
Here's an article that shows a picture of the micro O mintmark just in case. http://www.vamworld.com/1899+Micro+O+Guide
I've got an old worn out '98 Morgan that my dad carried in his pocket forever. He said one of his uncles gave it to him when he was 15. It's not for sale as long as I am alive, but after me I'm sure someone will be wondering why I saved it.
I completely understand asking for help on a coin, I mean, that's what this site is about and it's members but trying to describe the condition of a coin and not being able to get a picture of it.... I have to ask, why even bother then?
Why even bother - is because, although it's a problem for me to manage pictures, it's possible that someone may have some useful general information, such as, "No, in this case, the O marking doesn't affect the value" or "That particular date is very rare, so there's a possibility of considerable value, even in middling condition."
Even without pictures you gave enough information to deserve an intelligent respectful answer. In this case, the O mintmarked dollar is worth less than one without a mintmark. The 1899 O in circulated condition is a common coin and is not worth a premium over other average circulated common dates. Regardless, it can still be a nice collectable coin.
Welcome to CT. The O mintmark denotes that it was made in New Orleans. The 1899-O is pretty common and doesn't command much of a premium unless it is in really nice shape. Going off of your description, I'd estimate it's value in the $20-25 range. It's probably more valuable to you as a sentimental piece than it is as a collector piece.
Sorry to hear that. Don't worry though, I've been collecting coins for over thirty years and still get ripped off on occasion. I just consider it part of the price of an education.
