1878 $1 Morgan Silver Dollar, 8 Tailfeathers PCGS MS65

Please see below listing for recent auction records

Helpful PCGS MS65 Price Information:

Collector's Universe: $2,700.

Coin Dealer Newsletter: $1,950.

First version of the first year Morgan dollar!

The 8 Tailfeathers reverse was employed for a few short weeks beginning on March 12, 1878 at the start of Morgan silver dollar production. This issue is important to collectors as the first ever Morgan dollar, before the reverse was redesigned to the 7 Tailfeathers motif. This issue is a significant one, perhaps more so for collectors who desire the true "first-of-type" issue.

PCGS has graded 730 of the 1878 8 tailfeathers as MS65 with 170 finer. 

Ron Guth writes in PCGS Coinfacts, “The first Morgan Dollars bore 8 Tail Feathers, which apparently is an ornothologic impossibility, since bald eagles have seven tail feathers. This error was corrected later in the year but not until nearly three-quarters of a million dollars were made with the 8 Tail Feather reverse.”

Close-up photos detailing the different tail feathers configuration on Morgan dollars. Photo: PCGS Coinfacts.

Relevant auction records (average of $2,060 for last 5 appearances): 

• 09/2024 GC @ $2,139. (toned)
• 06/2024 GC @ $1,874.
• 03/2024 GC @ $2,027.
• 03/2024 HA @ $1,860.
• 01/2024 HA @ $2,400.
• 03/2013 HA @ $1,528. (last auction appearance for the present example #25044518)