1879-S $1 Morgan Silver Dollar PCGS MS68+ (CAC) - Simply the FINEST-!!! - P.O.R.

Morgan dollar specialist Wayne Miller, who has been called the 'King of Silver Dollars,' writes in The Morgan and Peace Dollar Textbook: "From 1879 to 1883, the only silver...coin struck at the San Francisco mint was the silver dollar. Apparently a less stressful production schedule enabled mint personnel to concentrate on making the silver dollars of these years among the finest this country has ever produced. Although over nine million 1879-S dollars were coined, nearly all uncirculated specimens are well struck, lustrous, and relatively free of surface abrasions." Leading numismatic author and coin auctioneer Q. David Bowers writes that, "The best struck pieces [of Morgan dollars] are those made at San Francisco." He adds, "The majority of pieces...have excellent eye appeal," and that the 1879-S dollars are "[u]sually very well struck on obverse and reverse. Typically very brilliant and very lustrous..."

The 1879-S Morgan dollar is from the second year of this series, and has always  been a popular type coin for collectors.  Most of the 9.1 million coins struck in San Francisco that year were not paid out, but sat in mint bags in vaults. They were gradually released in 1942 and again during the famous 'Treasury Releases' of the 1960s. Many mint state examples are from those releases, and often have bag marks or other abrasions. This was the result of being moved from vault to vault in heavy $1,000 face value canvas mint bags over the course of 80 years. About two million pieces of that year are still in uncirculated grades; however, the bulk of those coins are in grades of MS 64 or lower. Considering that, it is simply amazing that this current offering of an 1879-S Morgan dollar was graded MS 68+ (CAC).  

There is much romance about the Wild West, the shootout at the O.K. Corral, and other western lore associated with Morgan dollars. Did Wyatt Earp have silver dollars in his pocket when he stopped by the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona Territory, in 1881? It is very possible. Did "Pawnee" Bill, "Buffalo Bill" Cody, Chief Sitting Bull, Billy the Kid, Annie Oakley, or Frank Butler pay for a drink, or provisions, or an article of clothing in the Rockies during the late 1800s? If so, the distinctive clang of a Morgan dollar was heard as it was dropped onto a wooden bar or store counter. Piles of silver dollars sat at the gaming tables in Rhyolite, Tincup, Silver Reef and other gambling towns that dotted the Wild West. In banks, bordellos, and bistros in Helena, Cheyenne, San Francisco, and Denver, cashiers nonchalantly handled silver dollars each and every day. 

This quite rare example of the 1879-S Morgan Dollar will be yours to enjoy for many years to come. Featuring a classic design and booming luster, this coin features a sharp strike, clean surfaces, and bold devices. PCGS has authenticated and certified only 14 in the superior grade of MS 68+--with none graded finer. Plus, the green CAC sticker documents the overall superior quality of this prized rarity, giving this coin an edge above others. This is a registry coin par excellence, a unique coin for the discriminating numismatist that will be a cherished addition to your collection--one that will set you apart from the crowd.