Numismatic

1881-S Morgan Dollar VG/VF

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The 1881-S Morgan Silver Dollar stands as a classic representative of America's late nineteenth-century coinage. Produced at the San Francisco Mint, this issue belongs to a beloved series that spanned from 1878 to 1921. Striking more than twelve million of these specific coins, the West Coast facility left its distinctive 'S' mint mark on the reverse, signaling its origin to generations of observers. Designed by George T. Morgan, the coin features a left-facing profile of Liberty on its obverse, her hair adorned with a band displaying her name and secured beneath a Phrygian cap. The year 1881 is clearly struck beneath the portrait. On the reverse, a bald eagle is depicted with wings spread, grasping an olive branch alongside a cluster of arrows, symbolizing both peace and readiness. Surrounding the eagle are the inscriptions 'UNITED STATES OF AMERICA' and 'ONE DOLLAR', with the motto 'In God we trust' positioned above. Each of these historic pieces is composed of 90 percent silver, containing 0.7734 troy ounces of precious metal. Surviving in Very Good to Very Fine condition, these circulated specimens carry the gentle wear of a coin that active citizens used in daily commerce during a dynamic era of expansion.