1921 Morgan Silver Dollar
Circulation strike struck at the Philadelphia Mint · 44,690,000 made
- Mintage
- 44,690,000
- Metal
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Weight
- 26.73 g
- Diameter
- 38.1 mm
Original illustration. Tap to flip. Not a photograph of the actual coin.
Face value · Metal value · Small premium · Collector premium · Significant rarity. We use bands because prices change daily.
What is a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar worth?
In worn condition it trades for about its silver content, 0.7735 troy ounces. Uncirculated coins with full luster or attractive toning sell for more.
What would make yours worth more:
- Uncirculated condition with full original luster
- Prooflike or deep mirror fields (PL, DMPL)
- A die variety or minting error
For market prices, check recent sold results for certified coins in the same grade.
The 1921 is the most common Morgan dollar, struck in huge numbers after the Pittman Act melts.
Quick answers
- Is the 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar rare?
- No. With 45 million made, it's one of the most common Morgan Silver Dollars.
- Is the 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar silver?
- Yes. It's 90% silver, 10% copper and holds 0.7735 troy ounces of pure silver.
- Where is the mint mark on a 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar?
- On the reverse, below the wreath and above the letters "DO" in DOLLAR. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark.
- How many 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar coins were made?
- 44,690,000.
What to check on your 1921
- There's no mint mark on this one, so the date and condition are what matter.
- Don't clean it. Cleaning leaves fine scratches and an unnatural shine that collectors avoid.
- Judge the grade under good light. Look at the hair above Liberty's ear, the cheek and the breast feathers on the eagle. Prooflike (PL) and Deep Mirror Prooflike (DMPL) surfaces add large premiums.
Circulated examples are usually traded for their silver content. Pick out the best ones: original luster and attractive toning lift a coin above melt, while cleaned coins lose most of their collector value.
The story of the 1921
Philadelphia hadn't struck the Morgan Silver Dollar since 1904. When it came back in 1921, it made 44,690,000. It turned out to be Philadelphia's last Morgan Silver Dollar for circulation.
It was the big producer of the year, well ahead of 1921-D (20 million) and 1921-S (22 million).
Of the 28 Morgan Silver Dollars Philadelphia struck between 1878 and 1921, none was made in bigger numbers. The scarcest Philadelphia issue is the 1895 at 12,000.
The gap, the Pittman Act and the 1921 revival (1905 to 1921)
No Morgan dollars were struck from 1905 through 1920, a gap of sixteen years. The Pittman Act of 1918 melted about 270 million silver dollars so the silver could be sold to Britain for use in India. The same law required the Treasury to buy domestic silver and strike replacement dollars, which set the stage for the 1921 coinage.
The Morgan design returned in 1921 from new, shallower hubs. Output reached 44.69 million at Philadelphia, 20.35 million at Denver and 21.70 million at San Francisco. The 1921-D was the only Morgan dollar Denver struck in the original series. Coins of 1921 usually show flatter detail than earlier Morgans. The Peace dollar replaced the design in December, so 1921 Morgans are the most common date of all.
Elsewhere in US coinage in 1921
Morgan dollar production resumed to replace the coins melted under the Pittman Act. In December the Peace dollar by Anthony de Francisci was introduced, struck in high relief that first year.
How to recognize it
George T. Morgan's Liberty faces left wearing a cap with wheat and cotton and a band inscribed LIBERTY, with E PLURIBUS UNUM above and the date below. The reverse shows an eagle with outstretched wings holding arrows and an olive branch above a wreath, with IN GOD WE TRUST above it. The mint mark is below the wreath, above the DO of DOLLAR.
Mintage chart
Specifications
| Series | Morgan Silver Dollar (1878–present) |
|---|---|
| Year | 1921 |
| Mint | Philadelphia Mint |
| Mint mark | None |
| Strike type | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 44,690,000 |
| Face value | $1 |
| Composition | 90% silver, 10% copper |
| Weight | 26.73 grams |
| Diameter | 38.1 mm |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Silver content | 0.7735 troy oz (24.057 g) |
| Designer | George T. Morgan |
Other 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar issues
| Coin | Mintage | Type | Silver |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 Morgan Silver Dollar | 44,690,000 | Circulation strike | 0.7735 oz |
| 1921-D Morgan Silver Dollar | 20,345,000 | Circulation strike | 0.7735 oz |
| 1921-S Morgan Silver Dollar | 21,695,000 | Circulation strike | 0.7735 oz |
Mintage: Morgan dollar (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0), compiled from US Mint records and the Guide Book of United States Coins. How we build these pages.