Owner Comments:
1878 Pattern Morgan Silver Dollar
Judd-1550, Pollock-1727
Rarity: High R.7 PR62
Struck in Silver with reeded Edge
Obverse: A head of Liberty faces left with the Latin motto E PLURIBUS UNUM above and the date 1878 below. There are 13 stars at the border arranged seven left, six right. Liberty is wearing a cap, the band of which is inscribed LIBERTY and ornamented with ears of wheat, cotton leaves and bolls. The design is nearly identical to that which the Mint adopted for regular issue Morgan dollar production.
On this particular die, the wheat ear is distant from the letter R in PLURIBUS and the small leaf between the two wheat ears nearly touches the base of the adjacent letter I.
Reverse: The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is inscribed in the field above the eagle. The legend UNITED STATES OF AMERICA is at the upper border, the denomination ONE DOLLAR at the lower border. This design is also very similar to that adopted by the Mint for regular issue Morgan dollar production, although there are only three leaves on the olive branch.
Comment: Judd-1550 is the second prototype Morgan dollar, the so-called "Notched Wing" variety that is distinguished from the first prototype (Judd-1550a) on which the bottom of the wings are shaped like a fan.
Both sides exhibit mottled light gray toning over smooth surfaces. Modest cameo contrast is seen between mirrored fields and softly frosted design elements. Several shallow scrapes around Liberty's eye are noted, and were it not for these features the grade returned by PCGS might have been as high as Proof-64. This is a rare type, with an extant population of fewer than half a dozen specimens (per uspatterns.com).
Provenance/ Appearances:
Stacks Aug 2020 Auction - Session 3 /Lot #3159; Prior Provenance: From Stacks (American Numismatic Rarities') Aug 2004 Allison Park Collection sale /Lot #1298.