Numismatic

1878 Morgan Dollar 8 Tailfeathers BU

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The year 1878 marked the debut of the Morgan Dollar, a silver coin that would circulate as everyday currency in the United States for nearly eighty years. Minted in Philadelphia, this inaugural issue carries no mint mark, a traditional feature of the home mint's production. This specific specimen survives in Brilliant Uncirculated condition, preserving the crisp details of its original striking just as it looked when it left the coining press. On the obverse, a profile of Liberty appears wearing a Phrygian cap, her hair band inscribed with the word 'Liberty'. Thirteen stars encircle the portrait, representing the original colonies, accompanied by the date 1878 and the Latin motto 'E Pluribus Unum'. The reverse displays a bald eagle holding an olive branch and arrows in its talons. Surrounding the central eagle design are the inscriptions 'United States of America' and 'One Dollar', along with the national motto 'In God We Trust'. Struck from 0.900 fine silver, this coin contains 0.7734 troy ounces of precious metal, representing the very beginning of one of America's most famous coinage series.