Liberty silver dollars
are among America's most popular collected coins, both for their metal content and numismatic value. These hefty coins were minted from 1794 to 1935, with a number of different designs over the years, beginning with the flowing hair design and ending with the Peace dollar. Values vary greatly depending on the age of the coin and how it rates, or grades.
Instructions
1. Check the features of the coin for wear. Some features wear fairly easy over time while the coin is in circulation, such as the eagle's feathers on the Peace dollar or Liberty's hair on the Morgan dollar. Coins with worn features usually are in the fine (F-12) or very fine (F-20) grade.
2. Examine the luster. This is the shine on a new coin that wears over time with use. Coins that have a strong luster can rate in the about uncirculated (AU-50) or uncirculated (MS-60) grades, depending on the condition of the rest of the coin.
3. Look for contact marks. These are blemishes on the coin caused by the coin coming into contact with other objects while in circulation. Coins with few contact marks can be graded in the uncirculated categories while those with many contact marks would grade in the fine categories.
4. Search for mint errors. Some Liberty silver dollars have rare errors that add to their value. For example, some copies of the Morgan dollar minted in Carson City in 1880 have the last two digits of the date stamped over 79, as they were originally stamped with the wrong date. These coins in MS-60 condition can be worth more than $100 in 2010 prices whereas the non-error coin would be worth less than half as much.
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