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How to Spot Counterfeit Morgan Dollars

In 1878, Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act, which directed the Treasury Department to release silver coinage. The Treasury Department released Morgan dollars from 1878 to 1904, when its supply of silver bullion ran out.

In 1918, Congress passed the Pittman Act, requiring the Treasury Department to melt down 270 million coins for their silver content. In 1921, the Treasury Department temporarily resumed issuing Morgan dollars. It replaced the coin later that year with the Peace Dollar commemorative coin.

Most Morgan dollars have been melted down for their silver content. Consequently, the Morgan dollar is now a collector's item.

Things You'll Need

Morgan dollar

Instructions

- 1
  Examine the numbers at the bottom of the obverse (face) side of the coin, especially the one and five. On a counterfeit coin, the numbers will not use the same font.
- 2
  Examine the letters at the top of the obverse (face) side of the coin. The font on an authentic Morgan dollar is an unaccented font with thin serifs. However, most counterfeit Morgan dollars use a bold font with wide serifs.
- 3
  
  Examine the stars on the face and reverse sides.
  
  Examine the stars on the obverse (face) and reverse sides of the coin. On a counterfeit Morgan dollar, the stars will have rounded corners and may look like asterisks rather than stars.
- 4
  Examine the mint mark at the bottom of the reverse side of the coin below the ivy. Coin collectors have identified the following incorrect mint marks: any mint mark on an 1885 coin; CC on an 1887, 1888, or 1902 coin; O on an 1878 coin, D on any coin released before 1921.

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