1880-S Morgan Silver Dollar - 1880-S Morgan S$1 NGC MS65 CAC. This amazing, Gem 1880-S Morgan Dollar has a fabulous crescent of color on its left obverse side. In addition the coin has wonderful, creamy luster that is way above average for the date. The strong strike shows full details on the hair above Libertys ear and the feathers of the eagles breast. The surfaces are original and clean. The Gem grade is confirmed by the CAC sticker, which indicates that this premium quality piece fully merits the grade assigned.

 

George T. Morgan designed the dollar. It shows a close head of Liberty in profile facing left. She wears a headband inscribed LIBERTY. In her hair are cotton, corn, wheat, and tobacco. She wears a modified Phrygian cap and is surrounded with the motto E PLURIBUS UNUM, thirteen stars (seven left and six right), and the date. The reverse shows an eagle with wings raised looking left. In its talons are arrows and olive branch, symbols of preparedness and peace. A wreath is below and the motto IN GOD WE TRUST is above. Except for the eagles wing tips, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and ONE DOLLAR circumscribe the design. The mintmark is below the wreath and above the denomination.

 

The Morgan silver dollar was issued every year from 1878 to 1904 and then again in 1921. Hundreds of millions of Morgan silver dollars were saved in bags of 1,000 each in bank vaults because the federal government created artificial demand for them to satisfy the Western silver interests. Some were melted in the 1918, but large quantities remained in bank vaults and were later bought by investors and collectors. Because many millions of Morgan silver dollars exist today in the hands of the public, the Morgan silver dollar has become the most widely collected coin of its era.

 

Because of their method of storage in bank vaults, some Morgan dollars were in contact with the cloth of the storage bag for many years, and they received exceptional toning. The present coin is an outstanding example.