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Collecting coins is driven by two primary motivations.First, collectors want to have all of a specific variety, driven by the desire to have the best or the most complete set of coins.Secondly, they want to make money.Together, these motivations allow investors and collectors to bring themselves financial security in a way that entertains and delights.
Morgan silver dollars are an especially worthy collectors piece with a solid track record that appeals to investors.Minted between 1878 and 1921, the Morgan dollars were produced in response to the large amount of silver discovered in the Comstock Lode in Colorado.The government, being in need of both a new vehicle of trade exchange and a way to process the large amount of silver on the market, passed the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, authorizing the minting of the Morgan silver dollars.
The Morgan dollars were named for their designer and minted in five locations across the US.The usage of the different mints allowed for several thousand variations of the coins to be struck, while still remaining mostly true to the original design by George T. Morgan.The variations, known as VAMs, were catalogued by Leroy Van Allen and George Mallis, and number more than 6,000.
The main VAMs consist of overstrikes, double strikes, and ghosts.There is a listing as well of the Top 100 VAMs, which are the most highly prized variations and published together as a way to refocus the collecting industry in 1996.No one collector is known to have the whole of the Top 100, and collecting the 6,000 would be almost impossible.
This is not to say that trying to assemble any such collection of silver dollars would not be a worthy challenge.It certainly should give an idea of the scope of the possibilities.Collectors and investors alike will certainly be able to satisfy all their motivations for involvement with the coins using Morgan dollars alone.
The variety of the coins and their high quality as premium US silver have allowed them to appreciate greatly over the years.Working with a trusted dealer in fine coins, even the rarer varieties can be tracked and added to your investment portfolio or personal collection in a place of pride.The silver coins will be a solid investment no matter what the stock market does in the years ahead.