First & Last Morgan Silver Dollars

The Morgan Silver Dollar is the legendary coin of the Wild West. As a result of its large size, solid silver content, stunning beauty, and historical importance, it is always in tremendous demand and is the most popular classic American coin.

This collection includes the sought-after first-year 1878 and final-year 1921 coins. Both coins are presented in a custom display box. The Morgan Silver Dollar was struck from 1878-1904 and again in 1921. It is named after its designer, George T. Morgan, who was an engraver with the U.S. Mint.

The obverse portrays Lady Liberty wearing a slaves cap (an ancient symbol of freedom) with the word Liberty inscribed on a ribbon. The reverse features an American eagle holding both the olive branch of peace and arrows of war. This is the largest silver coin ever made for circulation: it is almost 1-1/2 inches in diameter and it contains over 3/4 ounce of pure silver. The overall silver purity is the standard .900 pure. The silver for this coin came from the famed Comstock Lode in Nevada.

Due to the massive amounts of silver in each coin, more than 50% of all coins were melted by the U.S. Government in the 1920s to help pay for World War I; millions more were melted for World War II; millions more were privately melted in the 1980s when silver reached $50 an ounce; and millions were destroyed or worn out in circulation between 1878 and the 1920s. As a result, just a fraction of all coins remain.

First and last coins are always in tremendous demand, and the first-year 1878 and final-year 1921 Morgan Silver Dollars are especially prized. However, they are rarely seen together in a single collection. The 1878 coin was struck more than 140 years ago and ushered in a new era in U.S. coinage. Also, for the first time, it made a Dollar coin readily available to Americans. Previously, Dollar coins were almost unheard of. The 1921 coin was made for only part of the year before it was replaced later in 1921 with the first Peace Silver Dollar.

Each coin is individually encapsulated in a plastic holder, and the set of two coins is beautifully displayed in a collectors display box.