1878-S Morgan Dollar


1878-S Morgan Dollar

Circulation Mintage: 9,774,000
Obverse Text: 1878 | LIBERTY | E PLURIBUS UNUM
Reverse Text: UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | ONE DOLLAR | IN GOD WE TRUST | S

Guidelines for Collecting:

Mint State examples of the 1878-S dollar are plentiful, with many in MS-62 to MS-64. Like the 1878-CC Morgan dollar, this variety minted in San Francisco has the flat eagle’s breast, seven tail feathers, and parallel top arrow feature (PAF). Most examples are well struck with excellent luster. Many of the Mint State coins are heavily bagmarked. Some pieces show planchet striations on the face of Miss Liberty as well as some weakness at the lower part of the eagle. Prooflike examples are common, with at least 15,000 to 30,000 in existence.

Availability in Circulated Grades:

EF and AU examples of the date are in abundance today though lower grade coins are not so easy to come by; fortunately, there is no great demand for low-grade pieces.

Availability in Mint State Grades:

This is one of the most plentiful issues in the Morgan dollar series and tens of thousands no doubt exist. All grades from MS-60 up to the ultra-gem category can be found, the latter, of course, with some degree of difficulty. This date was stored in bag quantities in San Francisco and other locales, with numerous bags released in the early 1960s by the Treasury. Many bags found their way to Las Vegas for use in “one-armed bandits.”

Availability in Proof:

Officially, none produced. However, in the 1997 Louis Eliasberg Collection sold by Bowers and Merena, Inc. Lot 2254 (shown below) was listed as a Branch Mint Proof. NGC has since labeled this coin as a Specimen, as it was one of the first ten coins struck at the San Francisco Mint and exhibited exceptional striking quality.

View 1878-S Morgan Dollar Auction Results

The example to the left was sold by Stack's Bowers Galleries in the August 2019 ANA Auction, where it realized $19,200.

1878-S Morgan Dollar Auction Highlights

1878 s branch mint proof morgan silver dollar from the eliasberg collection

1878-S Morgan Dollar
PCGS PR-66 BM (Presentation Piece)

Sold for $7,700
 
View Lot 2254
1878 san francisco morgan dollar price guide value

1878-S Morgan Dollar
PCGS MS-67, CAC

Sold for $14,687
 
View Lot 10183
1878 s morgan dollar value guide

1878-S Morgan Dollar
PCGS MS-67, CAC

Sold for $14,376
 
View Lot 3347

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