1878 Doubled Die Reverse WDDR-008

Description

Eighth doubled die reverse attributed to the 1878 Morgan Dollar with the Reverse of 1878 configuration, WDDR-008 belongs to the inaugural year of the most widely collected silver dollar series in American numismatics. The Morgan Dollar, designed by George T. Morgan after a portrait modeled by Anna Willess Williams, entered production in 1878 under the mandate of the Bland-Allison Act requiring the U.S. Treasury to purchase and coin between two and four million dollars' worth of silver monthly. The first-year 1878 issue is notable for the Reverse of 1878 vs. Reverse of 1879 distinction, with the Reverse of 1878 identified by a flat-breasted eagle with parallel tail feathers. Eight documented DDRs for the inaugural Morgan Dollar date speaks to the intensive die production required to meet the Bland-Allison mandate in the series' opening year, when the Mint was creating new dies from newly designed hubs at a rapid pace. Hub doubling during this initial production phase may have been influenced by the learning curve associated with manufacturing dies for an entirely new design. Attributed by the Wexler Team under Wexler Variety ID: 1878 $1 WDDR-008, this variety has special appeal for collectors who focus on the Morgan Dollar's important first year of issue.

Attribution History

• Wexler Variety ID: 1878 $1 WDDR-008
• Expert attribution by Wexler Team

External References