Morgan
Silver Dollar |
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| Obverse |
Reverse |
Description
The Morgan Dollar is one of the most owned and collected
silver coins in our history. This George T. Morgan
design is awash with Western lore and legend. First
struck in 1878, it was created in order to absorb
the fabulous quantity of silver known as the Comstock
Lode.
Design
The head of Lady Liberty takes up most of the obverse
of this coin. She is encircled by the date of issue,
thirteen stars, and the words, “E • PLURIBUS
• UNUM”. This phrase, which translates
to “Out of many, one”, was first chosen
for official United States use in 1776.
The reverse features a bald eagle with wings spread
perched upon a branch and arrows. The eagle is partially
surrounded by a wreath. Above his head sits the motto
“In God we trust”. Around the rim are
the words “UNITED STATES OF AMERICA” separated
by a star on either side from “ONE DOLLAR”.
Morgan, who studied under the direction of instructors
of the Royal Mint in London, placed an “M”
on both sides of the coin to lay his claim to the
design. He made slight revisions to the coin’s
design when it was reintroduced in 1921.
Minting Information
The largest and heaviest silver coin since the Civil
War, the Morgan silver dollar contains a hefty 0.77344
ounces of pure silver. It was minted continuously
from 1878 to 1904 when the government exhausted its
supply of silver bullion. Congress would pass the
Pittman Act in 1918, recalling over 270 million silver
dollars for melting and the Morgan dollar would be
minted one last year in 1921 before being replaced
by the Peace Silver Dollar.
| Detailed
Coin Information |
| Designer: George
T. Morgan |
| Gross Weight:
26.73g |
Silver Content:
0.77344 oz. |
| Composition:
90% silver, 10% copper |
| Diameter: 38.1mm |
Edge: Reeded |
| Dates: 1878-1904;
1921 |
| Mints: Carson
City (1878-1893), Denver (1921 only), New Orleans
(1878-1904), Philadelphia (all dates), San Francisco
(all dates) |
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