Dollar · 1878–1921

Morgan Dollar

Liberty's left-facing profile wearing a Phrygian cap with wheat and cotton tucked into her hair. An eagle with spread wings holding arrows and an olive branch, framed by a laurel wreath.

Designer

George T. Morgan

Diameter

38.1 mm

Edge

Reeded

Mint mark

Reverse (back), below the wreath and above the word DOLLAR

Composition

1878–1921: 90% silver, 10% copper · 26.73 g Silver

Did you know? Millions of Morgans sat untouched in Treasury vaults for decades, which is why you can still buy a 130-year-old coin in sparkling uncirculated condition for a modest price.

Beginner tip: Always flip the coin over and check under the wreath first: a 'CC' from Carson City instantly makes any Morgan worth serious money.

Key dates to look for

1893-S Morgan

$4,000+ even heavily worn

Only 100,000 struck — the king of the series

1889-CC Morgan

$800+ in Good condition

The rarest Carson City Morgan

1894 Morgan

$1,000+ in Good condition

Just 110,000 business strikes from Philadelphia

1895 Morgan

$40,000+ for any genuine example

Proof-only year — no confirmed business strikes exist

1903-O Morgan

$350+ in circulated grades

Scarce New Orleans date once thought nearly unobtainable

Valuable varieties & errors

1878 8 Tail Feathers (and 7/8 Tail Feathers)

scarce

$60 – $1,500+

The very first Morgans showed an eagle with 8 tail feathers. The Mint quickly decided the eagle should have an odd number and re-engraved the dies to show 7 — and some 8-feather dies were re-hubbed with the new design, leaving extra feather tips peeking out (the 7/8 TF variety). All are 1878 Philadelphia coins.

How to check: Count the eagle's tail feathers on the back. Eight evenly spread feathers means the 8TF. Seven feathers with tiny extra feather tips poking out below them means the 7/8TF. Seven clean feathers is the common later version.

1888-O 'Hot Lips' Doubled Die Obverse

rare

$150 – $5,000+

A badly misaligned hubbing doubled Liberty's entire profile on this New Orleans die. The doubling on her nose, lips, and chin is so strong she appears to have two mouths — hence the nickname.

How to check: No loupe needed for this one: look at Liberty's face. On the Hot Lips variety her lips, nose, and chin show a clearly doubled outline, as if her profile was traced twice slightly apart. Most known examples are well worn.

1901 Doubled Die Reverse 'Shifted Eagle'

rare

$400 – $20,000+

A hubbing mishap shifted the reverse design downward between impressions, doubling the eagle. It is one of the most dramatic and valuable doubled dies in the Morgan series, and 1901 is already a tough date in high grade.

How to check: Examine the eagle's tail feathers and breast with a loupe. On the Shifted Eagle the tail feathers appear clearly doubled, as if a second set sits just below the first. The doubling runs vertically, matching the 'shifted' nickname.

1900-O/CC Overmintmark

scarce

$60 – $1,500+

After the Carson City Mint closed, leftover reverse dies with the CC mint mark were shipped to New Orleans and repunched with an O. Traces of the old CC remain visible beneath the O on these coins.

How to check: With a loupe, study the O mint mark below the wreath. On the O/CC you'll see extra raised metal peeking out from the sides of the O — the tops and curves of the underlying C's. It's a popular, findable variety in circulated Morgan lots.

Error types found on this series

Doubled Die (Obverse)

The front design shows a second, shifted image because the die itself was made doubled.

Doubled Die (Reverse)

Same as a doubled die obverse, but the doubling appears on the back of the coin.

Repunched Mint Mark (RPM)

The mint mark was punched into the die more than once, slightly off position, leaving a doubled letter.

Die Crack

A crack in the die fills with metal during the strike, leaving a thin raised line on the coin.

Die Clash

The dies slammed together with no coin between them, imprinting each side's design faintly onto the other.

Real photos where available (credits); others are illustrations.

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