Goodbye to Carson City: The 1893-CC Morgan
Coin Encyclopedia · 9 min read · Published November 7, 2026
Six hundred seventy-seven thousand. The 1893-CC Morgan dollar was the last Morgan dollar Carson City ever struck, and it carries that finality in every grade of our guide: G-4 runs $427 to $488, F-12 runs $671 to $915, XF-40 runs $2,379 to $3,172, AU-50 runs $2,684 to $5,856, and MS-60 runs $5,280 to $8,235. Only the MS-65 row is a dash. The mint closed its doors the same year, and no CC Morgan was ever struck again.
That ending is what collectors pay for. The 1893-CC is not the scarcest CC Morgan by mintage, and it is not the most valuable — but it is the last one, and last things carry a premium of their own. Every 1893-CC is a piece of a mint that shut down, a town that faded, and a silver rush that ended, all in a single coin.
What an 1893-CC is worth by grade
The curve climbs steadily: G-4 at $427 to $488, F-12 at $671 to $915, XF-40 at $2,379 to $3,172, AU-50 at $2,684 to $5,856, and MS-60 at $5,280 to $8,235. The jump from F-12 to XF-40 — roughly threefold — is the steepest step, and it is decided by detail: an XF coin keeps most of its hair and feather detail, while a Fine coin has lost much of it to circulation.
| Grade | Estimated collector value |
|---|---|
| G-4 | $427–$488 |
| F-12 | $671–$915 |
| XF-40 | $2,379–$3,172 |
| AU-50 | $2,684–$5,856 |
| MS-60 | $5,280–$8,235 |
| MS-65 | — |
A dash (—) means our November 2026 review holds no researched figure for that grade yet — it is a gap in our data, not a zero. Figures are collector estimates, reviewed November 5, 2026.
The curve is the story here. Worn examples cluster near the silver floor, and the figures only start to separate once the coin keeps its lustre and its strike. This date has researched figures at 5 of six grades. At G-4 the range runs $427 to $488, and at the top end, MS-60 runs $5,280 to $8,235. The MS-65 row is still a dash in our guide — no researched figure yet, and none invented to fill the space. The MS-65 row is a dash in our guide — no researched figure yet, and none invented.
Carson City's final year
The CC mint mark is the reason this coin carries a premium beyond its grade. The Carson City Mint opened in 1870 to strike the silver coming out of Nevada's Comstock Lode, and it struck Morgan dollars from 1878 until it closed in 1893. Its coins travelled hard in the West, so most survivors are worn; the uncirculated ones largely survived because the Treasury held them in bags for decades and released them in the government offerings of the 1970s, many in their original holders. That history is why a CC dollar feels different in the hand from a Philadelphia coin of the same date.
For the 1893-CC, that history ends here. The mint that opened in 1870 to strike the silver of the Comstock Lode struck its last Morgan dollars in 1893 and closed. Its coins travelled hard in the West, so most survivors are worn; the uncirculated ones largely survived because the Treasury held them in bags for decades. That is why a CC dollar feels different in the hand from a Philadelphia coin of the same date — and why the last one feels different from all the rest.
How to grade your 1893-CC
Grading a Morgan starts in three places: Liberty's cheek, the hair above her ear, and the eagle's breast feathers on the reverse. On a mint-state coin those areas are fully struck and covered in cartwheel lustre that rolls across the surface when you tilt the coin under a light. The first wear shows as a flat, dull patch on the cheek and on the high points of the hair curls; the breast feathers go soft next. A coin with full lustre and no wear is mint state, and from there the grade is a question of marks, strike, and eye appeal.
On a final-year coin, originality matters as much as wear. A worn 1893-CC with honest, even toning and no cleaning is a better coin than a shinier one that has been dipped or polished, and the market knows it. Look for the cheek and hair detail first, then the eagle's breast, and remember that a weak strike from a tired CC die in the mint's last year is not the same as wear.
Specs and the silver floor
The specifications never change across the Morgan series, which is part of why the series is so easy to learn and so hard to master. A genuine Morgan weighs 26.73 grams, measures 38.1 millimetres, and carries 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver at 90% fineness, with a reeded edge. The metal alone puts a floor of $40.27 under every genuine example. George T. Morgan's Liberty faces left in a Phrygian cap; the reverse eagle spreads its wings inside a wreath, with the mint mark below the wreath when the coin was not struck at Philadelphia.
Metal floor updates live from our Worker — last updated November 7, 2026.
The silver floor is the least interesting number on this page. At 677,000 struck, an 1893-CC is worth its mint mark, its final-year status, and its grade — not its metal.
Spotting a fake 1893-CC
Before you celebrate a find, run the three cheap tests. A genuine dollar weighs 26.73 grams and spans 38.1 millimetres — most fakes fail on weight alone. A magnet should not grab it, because silver is not magnetic. And a loupe should show sharp, confident lettering and stars; mushy, rounded details and a pitted surface are the fingerprints of a cast copy. None of these tests replaces professional authentication for a coin worth real money, but together they catch the great majority of fakes.
Final-year CC dollars are faked more than most dates, because the mint mark alone adds value. Be especially wary of a coin with a CC mint mark that looks added or altered — a genuine CC sits cleanly below the wreath, struck at the same depth as the rest of the design, never punched in afterwards. For a coin at this figure, certification is the sensible step.
Latest reported results for this coin
Checking for newly reported results…
The 1893-CC Morgan dollar, answered
How much is an 1893-CC Morgan dollar worth?
Researched figures run $427 to $488 at G-4, $671 to $915 at F-12, $2,379 to $3,172 at XF-40, $2,684 to $5,856 at AU-50, and $5,280 to $8,235 at MS-60. The MS-65 row is a dash in our guide — no researched figure yet.
What is the mintage of the 1893-CC Morgan dollar?
Carson City struck 677,000 Morgan dollars in 1893 — the final year of the mint's Morgan production, and the final year of the mint itself. No CC Morgan was ever struck again.
Why is the 1893-CC Morgan dollar special?
Because it is the last one. Carson City closed in 1893, so the 1893-CC is the final Carson City Morgan dollar ever struck — and last things carry a premium of their own, on top of the low mintage and heavy Western circulation.
How do I know my 1893 Morgan is from Carson City?
Turn the coin over and look below the wreath on the reverse, just above the word DOLLAR. A small CC there means Carson City. No mint mark means Philadelphia, and an S means San Francisco. The CC is struck cleanly into the coin, at the same depth as the surrounding design.
Is the 1893-CC Morgan dollar a key date?
Yes, among Carson City dollars it is one of the recognised keys — the final-year status, the 677,000 mintage, and heavy Western circulation have made it a date collectors chase at every grade.
Should I get my 1893-CC Morgan graded?
Consider it when the coin looks uncirculated with full lustre, because the figures climb steeply with condition. Certification also settles whether the CC mint mark is genuine, which matters for every final-year Carson City date.
Check your 1893-CC Morgan
Run the date and mint mark through the free Coin Value Checker for an instant estimate, or get a Grade-or-Not verdict on whether your coin is worth certifying. The full guide is here: 1921 Morgan Dollar Value: $40 to $240,000+. The king of Carson City is the 1889-CC Morgan dollar; the 1893-CC is its final chapter.
The last Carson City Morgan closes a mint's story and opens a collector's — learn the mint mark, learn the grade, and keep the history close. Shared for education only.
