Morgan Silver Dollar

The truly correct name for this coin is the "Liberty Silver Dollar" however, as is somewhat common regarding American coinage, the coin has become nearly synonymous with the name of it's designer, George T. Morgan. In a bit of irony this coin has become one of the most collected U.S. coins ever, but it was designed by a man from England. The story goes like this; in 1876 the Director of the Mint was Henry Richard Linderman and he was undertaking the redesign of America's silver coins. He contacted the Deputy Master of the Royal Mint in London looking for a talented die-sinker who would be willing to take the position of Assistant Engraver at the Philadelphia Mint. The Deputy Master suggested George Morgan, and the wheels were set in motion. Morgan was to work at the Philadelphia Mint under then Chief Engraver William Barber. Barber was a man of questionable talent historically, though his reputation as a man of self-importance has remained intact throughout the years. At the time there was a myriad of legislations afoot regarding the coining of U.S. Silver Dollars, and as usual within government, one bad idea replaced the next. The Bland-Allison Act officially created the law requiring a new one ounce silver coin in 1873, resulting in the ultimate creation of the "Morgan Dollar", and the new coin entered circulation in 1878. More legislation ended the production of the coin in 1904, and yet another batch of laws required that the coin be minted in massive quantities for one year: 1921.