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Morgan Reverses over the Years
anablep
Posts: 5,220 ✭✭✭✭✭
This is mostly for my own amusement, but I just wanted to see a side by side comparison of varying San Fransisco minted Morgan reverses. I'm not sure if the difficulty in striking this reverse lies with the breast feathers or the fact that visually the eagle just looks awkward or "off" as compared to other versions of the bird on other coins. Below, in order: 1878, 1879, 1921, 2006, 2021 rendition.
Always looking for attractive rim toned Morgan and Peace dollars in PCGS or (older) ANA/ANACS holders!
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
"Bongo hurtles along the rain soaked highway of life on underinflated bald retread tires."
~Wayne
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I would say the 2021 version looks a tad scrawny... compared to the original, more robust eagle. Cheers, RickO
The 2006 design isn't even close by Chinese standards.
The flat breast of 1878 is actually flattened from the original 8TF, which had slightly higher relief, but wasn't sent to San Francisco. The round breast of 1879-1904 did present striking issues because of the relief. The reverse was modified again, slightly, in 1900. This modification tended to produce coins with weaker breast feathers. The new design looks most like the C3 (1879-1900) reverse, with strengthened detail in the breast feathers, but lacking in fine detail, presumably to make the dies last longer, what with the markup over melt being a paltry $60 per coin.
Keeper of the VAM Catalog • Professional Coin Imaging • Prime Number Set • World Coins in Early America • British Trade Dollars • Variety Attribution
@messydesk said: “ lacking in fine detail, presumably to make the dies last longer, what with the markup over melt being a paltry $60 per coin.”
It is a sad situation. And yet ... I’ll still buy a few.
My favorite is the 79