1878 Morgan Dollar

About This Coin

The 1878 Morgan Dollar is a United States dollar from the Morgan Dollars 1878-1921 series — the first year of the series. In 1878, coins were struck at the Philadelphia, Carson City, and San Francisco Mints with a combined mintage of 51.5 million. This ranks 25th of 28 years by total mintage, above the series median of 28.0 million. The obverse features Liberty facing left wearing a Phrygian cap adorned with wheat and cotton, encircled by stars and the reverse displays an eagle with outstretched wings clutching an olive branch and arrows, surrounded by a wreath. First year of the Morgan Dollar. Eight tail feather and seven tail feather varieties exist from early die adjustments. Struck in 90% silver, 10% copper, with a reeded edge. Collectors have cataloged 713 known die varieties for this date across 3 categories, including doubled die obverse, doubled die reverse, vam variety. Across its variants, estimated values range from $87 to $106K depending on mint mark, grade, and strike type. A notable auction result reached $84K in PR67+ grade at Heritage Auctions. Designed by George T. Morgan.