money -> Coins-US -> Dollars

Liberty Head silver dollars have been referred to in many different ways over the years. First they were called Buzzard Dollars, because no one really liked the original design of the rather scrawny eagle on the back. The large, heavy coins were also referred to as Cartwheels, and are today most commonly referred to as Morgan Dollars, after their creator, George T. Morgan.

Though when they first appeared in 1878 these coins weren’t popular at all, today Liberty Head silver dollars are one of the most collectible coins in the world, among silver and all other types of coins. When these coins were minted, the dollar coin had been discontinued for 5 years already, with Americans showing a clear preference for paper dollars. The coins were minted because of the large silver surplus created by the purchase of silver from the Comstock lode in Nevada, to keep Nevada’s economy above water. To use the silver, these coins were commissioned.

George Morgan was an Englishman who designed the Liberty Head silver dollars, and despite his post as US Chief Engraver after that, one he held for over 40 years, these coins were the only American ones he ever designed. Because these coins weren’t popular and few people used them, production stopped in 1904. Many of the coins were melted down in 1918 to help Great Britain’s war efforts. Then more were minted in 1921, but only for a brief time before the Peace Dollar was minted to commemorate the end of the war, and quickly became the most popular silver dollar in America.

The Liberty Head silver dollars continued to be melted town, and the public showed little interest in collecting them until about 1972, when a large collection of over 400 bags of the rare Carson City minted dollars was discovered. The collection ended up selling at auction for over $7 million dollars. While all these dollars are collectible, some are more valuable and sought out than others.

The most rare Liberty Head silver dollars are those minted in 1895. Called the “king” of these dollars, some have sold for over $100,000 at auction. What makes these coins particularly valuable is their rarity, and the mystery surrounding them. Twelve-thousand 1895 coins were struck, according to mint records, yet only about 80 have ever been accounted for, and all of those were proofs. None of the regular circulation coins have been recovered. Whether they were ever minted at all comes into question, but doesn’t lessen the mystique of the coin.

Liberty Head silver dollars, aside from the 1895 strike, aren’t particularly rare because millions of these coins were minted. They were larger than typical coins, and the original eagle design wasn’t popular, yet today they’re consider one of the most collectible US coins available. Online auctions are an inexpensive and ideal way to purchase these collectible coins, whether you want to purchase them to begin investing in silver, or to make the Liberty Head silver dollars an important part of your coin collection.

Originally posted 2008-11-11 14:00:28. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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