1878-CC Morgan Dollar — PCGS AU-55 | First Year of Issue | Carson City Mint | About Uncirculated

1878-CC Morgan Dollar — PCGS Certified AU-55 | About Uncirculated | First Year of Issue | Carson City Mint

A premium About Uncirculated example of the 1878-CC Morgan Dollar, independently certified by the Professional Coin Grading Service (PCGS) and graded AU-55. This coin combines two of the most compelling collector attributes in the Morgan Dollar series: it is a first-year-of-issue coin from the very first production run of America’s most beloved silver dollar, AND it bears the iconic CC mintmark of the legendary Carson City Mint. The coin displays rich original dark toning across both obverse and reverse, with significant original lustre remaining in the protected areas and only light highpoint wear consistent with the AU grade. A historically significant and visually striking piece.

Certification Details

• Country: United States
• Year: 1878-CC
• Denomination: $1 (One Dollar)
• Grade: AU-55 (About Uncirculated)
• Certification No.: 7080.55/49647587
• Certifying Body: PCGS (Professional Coin Grading Service)

Coin Specifications

• Composition: 90% Silver, 10% Copper
• Diameter: 38.1 mm
• Weight: 26.73 g (0.7734 oz ASW)
• Edge: Reeded
• Designer: George T. Morgan (obverse and reverse)
• Mint: Carson City Mint, Nevada (“CC” mintmark on reverse)

First Year of Issue: 1878

The Morgan Dollar was introduced in 1878 as a direct result of the Bland-Allison Act, which required the U.S. Treasury to purchase and coin large quantities of silver to support Western mining interests. Designed by Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan — a British-born sculptor who modelled the Liberty portrait from Philadelphia schoolteacher Anna Willess Williams — the Morgan Dollar became the most produced and most widely collected silver dollar in American history. The 1878 date is the first year of production, making every 1878 Morgan Dollar a first-year-of-issue coin — a designation that consistently commands strong collector premiums.

The Carson City Mint

The Carson City Mint (“CC” mintmark) operated from 1870 to 1893 in Carson City, Nevada — the heart of the Comstock Lode silver mining district — and is one of the most romanticized and collected mints in American numismatic history. Carson City coins carry an intrinsic connection to the Wild West silver boom: the silver in this very coin may have been mined from the Comstock Lode, transported to the Carson City Mint, and struck into dollars within days. The CC mintmark is among the most sought-after in the Morgan Dollar series, and Carson City dollars consistently command significant premiums over their Philadelphia counterparts.

The 1878-CC had a mintage of 2,212,000 pieces — a modest figure by Morgan Dollar standards — and many were melted under the Pittman Act of 1918 or circulated heavily in Nevada and the Western territories. Finding an example in AU-55 with original toning and lustre intact is genuinely satisfying for the advanced collector.

Design

The obverse features the left-facing portrait of Liberty by George T. Morgan, wearing a coronet and a wreath of cotton, corn, wheat, and tobacco — inscribed E PLURIBUS UNUM above and the date 1878 below, surrounded by thirteen stars. The reverse depicts a heraldic eagle with spread wings, arrows and an olive branch in its talons, and an arc of stars above, inscribed UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, IN GOD WE TRUST, and ONE DOLLAR.

Silver Content

Each 1878-CC Morgan Dollar contains 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver, giving it both strong numismatic collector value as a first-year Carson City coin and substantial intrinsic precious metal content.

Why This Coin Belongs in Your Collection

The 1878-CC Morgan Dollar is a coin that ticks every box for the serious collector: first year of issue, Carson City mintmark, original toning, AU-55 grade with significant remaining lustre, and PCGS certification. Whether you are assembling a CC mintmark set of Morgan Dollars, collecting first-year-of-issue coins, building a type collection of great American silver, or simply seeking one of the most historically evocative coins of the Wild West silver era, this PCGS AU-55 example is an outstanding and compelling acquisition.

Encapsulated in an original PCGS sealed holder. Tampering with the holder invalidates the certification opinion. Have holder replaced if inner package/seal is not intact.

The PCGS-certified coin shown is the exact coin you will receive. Guaranteed authentic.