1878-1879

1879-P Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

Like so many other dates in the lengthy Morgan series, the second year 1879 issue struck by the Philadelphia Mint did not escape the melting pot unscathed. Fourteen decades later, it's surmised that less than 2% of its original mintage of more than 14...

1878-S Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

When the Morgan dollar emerged in 1878, the recently opened San Francisco Mint ranked as America's finest minting facility with the latest, most sophisticated equipment. Not surprisingly, the first five 1878-1882 S-mintmark issues are universally...

1879-O Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

The New Orleans branch mint of the Old South was converted to an armaments factory by the Confederacy. It didn't re-open as a minting facility until after the Reconstruction Era, when these first O-mintmark Morgans emerged a year later than the inaugural...

1879-S Reverse of ’79 (SAF) Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

This 1879-S Reverse of '79 (or third reverse) variety carries the reverse engraving that became standard for the series featuring a plump, round-breasted eagle and slanted arrow feathers.

1878 7-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

When the Morgan dollar debuted in 1878, a kerfuffle ensued regarding the number of tail feathers an eagle possessed. This desirable seven-tail feather, flat-breast variety was struck to replace the original eight-tail feather design when it was...

1879-P Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

Many were lost in government melts - hugely disproportionate to other mint's issues of the day. Today as little as 5% of its original production is estimated to survive in our nicely detailed Very Fine quality or higher grades. It costs no more than...

1878-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

Merely 2% of Morgan silver dollars were struck at the isolated Carson City Mint in Nevada, situated near the Comstock Lode. Of the first-date 1878 Morgan dollar issues, the CC is the most elusive today in our nicely detailed Very Fine quality or higher...

1878 7-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

This first-year 1878 seven tail feather Philadelphia Mint issue replaced the original eight tail feather eagle reverse. The change resulted from an ornithologist's complaint to the Mint that eagles invariably have odd-numbered tails. All later Morgan...

1878 7-Tail Feather/3rd Reverse Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

The 1878 tail feather scarcities are the first and most famous Morgan varieties. We usually only offer the first three types, but have found a small selection of the sought-after fourth and last type. The first Morgans of 1878 to roll off the...

1879-S Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

In 1879, the San Francisco Mint struck only Morgan silver dollars, with an even smaller mintage than 1878. So the artisans there could concentrate even more on producing America's finest Morgan dollars, whose S mintmark was a hallmark of superior quality...

1879-O Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

In 1879, the newly reopened New Orleans Mint struck less than three million Morgan silver dollars; by comparison, that same year Philadelphia output nearly 15 million! Today it's estimated that less than 3% of these historical treasures remain in Extra...

1878 8-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

Struck only by the principal Philadelphia Mint, this historic first Morgan dollar had an abbreviated mintage of just 750,000. Minting was stopped after an ornithologist protested that eagles always have an odd number of feathers. Later Morgan dollars...

1878 7/8-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

When the original eight-tail feather eagle Morgan dollar type ceased to be minted, a limited number of dies were filed down in that area and overprinted with seven tail feathers. But in some cases the eight-tail feather design could still be partially...

1878-S Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

Struck from bonanza silver mined at fabled sites like Comstock and Tombstone, this 1878-S San Francisco issue introduced the Morgan silver dollar to the West. It represented a day's pay for most Americans, so relatively few were saved in mint-state...

1878-S Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

Of the 1878-1882 five first San Francisco Mint Morgans considered the best struck in the 95-issue series, this original 1878-S issue is the scarcest overall. It introduced the Morgan silver dollar to the Wild West at a time when the recently opened San...

1878 7-Tail Feather/3rd Reverse Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

The 1878 tail feather scarcities are the first and most famous Morgan varieties. We usually only offer the first three types, but have found a small selection of the sought-after fourth and last type. The first Morgans of 1878 to roll off the...

1879-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Very Fine

In only the second year of the series, just 756,000 Morgans were output for commerce by Carson City in 1879; for that same date Philadelphia, New Orleans and San Francisco produced silver dollars into the millions. Mint-state issues can easily sell for...

1879-S Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

Of the 1878-1882 first five San Francisco Mint issues (considered to be the best-struck in the entire Morgan dollar series), the 1879-S had the second lowest total mintage. And the San Francisco facility divided its 1879 production between two relatively...

1878-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

This first-year Morgan is a great prize for collectors, especially in our Brilliant Uncirculated quality. It was struck at the small Carson City, Nevada branch mint, whose production was quite limited compared to the Philadelphia and San Francisco Mints...

1878 7-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

After the original eight tail feather eagle Morgan dollar type embarrassed the Mint Director, he ordered a new type with seven tail feathers later in 1878. It became the standard for the series. Curiously, the young designer George T. Morgan had...

1878 8-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

Struck only by the principal Philadelphia Mint (with no mintmark), this historic first Morgan dollar issue had an abbreviated mintage of just 750,000. The Mint Director stopped production after an ornithologist protested that eagles always have an odd...

1879-P Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

The 1879 Philadelphia Mint Morgan BU is comparatively scarce among early dates. As few as 177,000 may currently survive in mint-state quality or better. That's less than 1.5% of the original 14.8 million mintage. Today it's the second scarcest...

1879-S 2nd Reverse Morgan Silver Dollar About Uncirculated

The Morgan dollar's reverse underwent several design changes in its first year of issue, resulting in a number of collectible varieties. San Francisco received a number of the leftover 1878 reverse dies which were used the following year in 1879. An...

1878-S Morgan Silver Dollar Certified MS-63

Struck from bonanza silver mined at fabled sites like Comstock and Tombstone, this 1878-S San Francisco issue introduced the Morgan silver dollar to the West. It represented a day's pay for most Americans, so relatively few were saved in mint-state...

1879-O Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

After the end of the Reconstruction Era, the New Orleans Mint was re-opened (it had been shut down early in the Civil War). Its first Morgans of the Old South were delayed because of a contagion in the city — and emerged a year after the initial...

1879-S Reverse of ’78 (PAF) Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

In the spirit of waste not, want not, the San Francisco Mint used a handful of leftover 1878 reverse dies to strike its 1879 Morgans. The result? Two distinct subtypes for the date, although these went largely unnoticed by collectors until the 1960s. Of...

1878 Morgan Silver Dollar Variety Trio Certified MS-63

In the very first year of the series, the Morgan silver dollar underwent several design changes, resulting in a number of different varieties. Collectors are always looking for these sought after Philadelphia Morgans which can be tough to find, but even...

1878-CC & 1878-S Morgan Silver Dollar Pair Very Fine to Extra Fine

Today when you buy the highly desirable 1878-CC Morgan in Very Fine to Extra Fine quality you'll get an 1878-S San Francisco specimen in the same condition FREE. That's a $139 value! These legendary 1878-CC Morgan silver dollars were struck at the remote...

1878 7/8-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar Brilliant Uncirculated

In the Morgan dollar's 1878 first year of issue, the eagle's original eight tail feathers were disputed. George T. Morgan then prepared master dies with seven tail feathers, corresponding to his original conception. But some remaining 8-tail feather dies...

1878 7/8-Tail Feather Morgan Silver Dollar About Uncirculated

In the Morgan dollar's 1878 first year of issue, the eagle's original eight tail feathers were disputed. George T. Morgan then prepared master dies with seven tail feathers, corresponding to his original conception. But some remaining 8-tail feather dies...

1878 8-Tailfether & 1879-P Morgan Silver Dollar Pair Very Fine

1879-CC Morgan Silver Dollar Extra Fine

In only the second year of the series, just 756,000 Morgans were output for commerce by Carson City in 1879. In today's world, that translates to a very small number of specimens that survive in mint-state quality – their scarcity commands a premium: in...

1879-S Morgan Silver Dollar Certified MS-63

Of the 1878-1882 first five San Francisco Mint issues (considered to be the best-struck in the entire Morgan dollar series), the 1879-S had the second lowest total mintage. And the San Francisco facility divided its 1879 production between two relatively...