1880 $1.00 NGC PR66 CAC

Funny thing: as much as I dislike business strike Morgan dollars (I have basically shunned this popular series since I was a kid) I've always liked this series in Proof. In the not-so-distant past it was possible to find superbly toned Proofs of this series and I've personally owned a few pieces that had simply glorious color. But with the advent of the Ultra Cameo/Deep Cameo designation, the grading services have tacitly encouraged dealers to dip toned Morgans in the hope of getting a high grade with a spiffy adjective. That's why nearly every Proof Morgan you see these days is blast white. This "old school" Gem has superb deep multi-colored toning on the obverse and reverse with strong underlying reflectiveness. There is enough contrast seen between the portrait of Liberty and the fields to wonder why NGC didn't at least designate this as a Cameo. As a date, the 1880 is among the more available Proofs of this design and it tends to be well-made. I think Proof type of this quality remains an excellent value in today's market and this superb example would be a perfect representative of a Morgan Dollar for the collector who wants one special piece for his set.