What is the value of a 1885 uncirculated e pluribus unum silver dollar?

Answer 1

1885 is a common year for Morgan Dollars. In average circulated condition, it's worth about $10.00 Answer Could be worth as little as $20 if it is so worn that it is valued only for its silver content or over $16,000 if it has a CC mintmark and is certified as Mint State-65 DMPL by a respected third-party authentication service.

First look on the back for a mintmark below the eagle. If you have the CC, its retail value starts at $375 in Very Good condition and goes up to the price stated above. It is not uncommon to find Morgan dollars that grade considerably below VG because they may have been carried as a "lucky piece" for many years. It IS uncommon to find one in grades higher than Almost Uncirculated unless it has been held by a collector/investor since it was new, so don't start spending that 16 grand yet, even if you found the CC.

Your second-best mintmark for this year would be an S, but that only exceeds $100 in Almost Uncirculated and $200 in typical Uncirculated condition. The other two possibilities (and I'd bet a small amount that you have one of these) are an O or no mintmark. These two range from $13.50 in Very Good condition to $30 in Uncirculated.

Regarding "E Pluribus Unum" Also please note that nearly ALL U.S. coins bear the motto "E Pluribus Unum" ("From many, one") so this is not a distinguishing characteristic of a coin. The denomination, date, mint mark, and condition are the most helpful characteristics to start with.