1878 Morgan Silver Dollar

This is a United States Morgan Silver Dollar, dated 1878. This coin represents the first year of the Morgan series, designed by George T. Morgan. The obverse features a profile portrait of Lady Liberty, modeled by Anna Willess Williams, wearing a Phrygian cap with 'LIBERTY' on the band and decorated with cotton and wheat. The motto 'E PLURIBUS UNUM' is inscribed above the head, with thirteen stars below and the date '1878' at the bottom. Physically, these coins were minted in 90% silver and 10% copper, with a diameter of 38.1 mm. The visible condition of this piece shows significant signs of wear and age. The luster is largely absent, replaced by a grey, circulated patina with dark toning in the recessed areas around the stars and lettering. There are visible contact marks across the cheek and neck of Liberty. Small brownish spots (possibly copper spots or environmental contamination) are visible near the date and the star directly to its right. The high points of the hair and the cotton blossoms show flattening, which is expected for a coin in a lower circulated grade. The strike appears standard for the era, though the heavy graininess of the image makes it difficult to distinguish specific variety details like the number of tail feathers on the reverse or if it is an 8-tail feather or 7-tail feather variety, which is a key attribute for 1878 strikes.

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