It's time to debunk the myth that Morgan and Peace dollars with depression (not circulated wear) on the hairline above the ear, or smoothness on the eagles chest is not an uncirculated dollar.  This is a tired old line that might have been the truth at one time over 50 years ago when collecting of Morgan dollars was a hobby without the mass collecting that has been done since.  It's also a line that many retailers use to "steal" magnificent coinage from the unsuspecting who have had it left to them or stored for many years.  With the advent of coin collecting exploding in the last 50 years many collectors purchased uncirculated Morgans and stored them in safes, boxes, rolls or other "safe" places prior to encapsulation by grading services becoming vogue and sensible. Without the type of storage that is available now, especially if coins were kept in tightened rolls, there will be some coins that have depression (friction) smoothness on selected high points (notably above the ear, the ear and the eagles chest) without having been circulated.  All the grading standards set by ANA regarding grade will be met other than the smoothing of the high points from prolonged storage or a weak strike.  No longer do the grading services such as PCGS, NGC and ANACS disregard the storage depression factor because it's just recently that these stored coins have been put back into circulation for SALE.  A Morgan dollar that is uncirculated but has storage weakness or depression smoothness will not be penalized nor called "circulated" as many of the old liners and coin hogs will have you believe, although the net grade might be a bit lower. It will be and IS an uncirculated coin.  The best way to find out for yourself is to call one of the top grading services, and/or send in a spectacular gem that has such storage depression to a grading service and find out for yourself.  If anyone on the retail end states, or repeats to you that gem Morgans with a bit of storage depression (friction) or hairline weakness is not considered uncirculated, consider them either unknowledgeable, not up to date on coinage, or trying to steal a coin from you.  It's a new phenomenon that Morgan dollars have been stored for over 50 years.  There are new rules that go with the new situation.

ALSO:  The New Orleans coinage tends to be a weak strike coin due to insufficient pressure to fill all the dies. The very highest points of the die appear as "flattened", i.e., the breast of the eagle and the hairline above the ear and sometimes the ear will appear as totally flattened. This comes from a WEAK STRIKE not circulation.

A POST SCRIPT:  It's been brought to my attention that I might have inadvertantly suggested that "circulated wear" is acceptable on a coin to be considered uncirculated.  That is not the case.  An uncirculated coin that "weardown via depression(friction)" from prolonged storage, or a weak New Orleans strike, and has never been circulated is still an uncirculated coin.  Not all depression (flattening) is circulation.  Some smoothness on the high points is strictly from storage.  I'm talking about a weakness of strike, and an uncirculated coin that has been worn down on the high points due to prolonged storage flattening. If this were NOT true, then the Government releasing GSA-CC dollars would never have happened.  Many many GSA dollars have a great deal of markings and exhibit "weardown depression" on the high points from years of prolonged storage.  The MINT encapsulated them and calls them "uncirculated Morgan dollars".  Furthermore, if anyone has an extensive collection of slabbed coinage (PCGS, NGC etc) they will see that many of the coins that have been certified in higher grades do in FACT have a flattening of some of the high points either from the New Orleans weak strike or storage depression/friction.  I'm sure they have many methods to verify if a coin has such depression from being in circulation or being OUT OF CIRCULATION for such a long time, with other items on top of them that it's flattened some of the high points.  As I said, the net grade might be lower, but the coin is UNCIRCULATED.  My apologies if this guide mislead in any way to having anyone believe that circulated coinage with wear is akin to UNCIRCULATED coinage that shows depression from prolonged storage.  There is a difference!!!.  The only ones who will really dispute this with a vehemence are the coin dealers trying to steal a coin from you.