To begin the Morgan Dollar History it is important to understand the origin of the primary metal, Silver. This is not just any silver it is silver from the State of Nevada and specifically the Comstock Mine outside of Carson City. (Or at least the Comstock Mine was the primary source)

In 1848, the discovery of gold at Sutter's Mills, set off the Great California Gold Rush of 1849. The primary route to California Gold was through the Mountain passes of the Northern Sierra?s. In the spring of 1850 while waiting for the mountain passes to open from the winter snow, a group California Gold seekers camped in the Washoe region of what is now Nevada. While waiting they sought fortune in the near by Carson River and discovered gold. When the mountains became passable, they continued on to their original destination. Over the next few years, this region along the Carson River became a staging area for many to pan for gold on their way to California. Seven years later, gold was discovered in Six-Mile Canyon (web picture: http://contentdm.library.unr.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/spphotos&CISOPTR=337&REC=7) on what was to become known as the Comstock Lode, one of the largest silver finds in the Country's history. The strike put downward pressure on silver prices worldwide.

Discovery of the Comstock Lode has been greatly disputed over the years. Some say, it was Ethan Allen Grosh and his brother Hosea Ballou Grosh who died under dubious circumstances before their claim could be recorded (1857). The more colorful story from that region is the story of Pat McLaughlin and Peter O'Reilly. The year was 1859. In the spring of that year, McLaughlin and O'Reilly were prospecting at the head of Six-Mile Canyon. The two of them dug a pit to collect water to use in their rockers (a piece of

equipment used to wash the soil away from ore), as they dug they found gold. Henry Comstock stumbled along and found McLaughlin and O'Reilly. Seeing their strike, Comstock claimed their find was on his property (it wasn't). The gullible pair, in order to avoid trouble, quickly agreed to give Comstock a share. While mining for the gold, their rockers would constantly clog with a very heavy blue-gray mud. That blue-gray material would later prove to be silver ore, but not before the three partners had sold off their mining interests. Comstock sold his for $10,000. He invested his money in trade

goods stores, went broke, and committed suicide in Montana. McLaughlin sold his interest for $3,500. Having wasted all his money, he spent the rest of his life working odd jobs. O'Reilly collected dividends from his interest for a number of years, finally selling his share for $50,000. He built a hotel in Virginia City (website: http://www.virginiacity-nv.org/), and dealt in mining stock. Later he began another mining venture, only to lose everything he owned. He went insane and died in a California asylum.

The origin of the Morgan Dollar began in 1877 with the Bland-Addison Act. However, if it were not for a couple of significant events in history the coin would never have been minted.

The history of the Morgan Dollar can be dated back to President Lincoln (the 16th President). In the early years of the United States a Civil War broke out between the North and South. The battle was over the South (confederates) attempting to secede from the Union predominantly due to Slavery. The Civil War was costly not only in lives but in dollars, and the Union needed funding to continue the battle. At that time the President, Abraham Lincoln, encouraged Nevada territory to become a State. When Nevada agreed state hood it was put on the fast track and in October 1864 Nevada became a State. In doing so the State of Nevada paid a $45 million dollars for this honor which helped fund the Union.

"Crime of '73?

The Morgan dollar wasn't born out of necessity, but, instead, out of politics. Following the "Crime of '73," an 1873 act of Congress that eliminated the Liberty Seated silver dollar, the two cent piece, the three cent silver, and the half dime, the silver interests lobbied for new coinage. They needed to relieve the oversupply of silver created by the Comstock Lode and other major silver strikes that had occurred in subsequent years.

Specie Redemption Act of 1875

The Specie Redemption Act was passed by Congress in 1875 and signed by President Grant (the 18th President). Under this act, the U.S. government stated, paper currency of $1 or more would be backed by gold, and they would gradually reduce the number of "greenbacks" in circulation. In addition, any paper notes less then a dollar would be removed from circulation and replaced by silver coinage. Although this act increased the amount of silver coinage to be placed into circulation, it was not enough for the silver miners in the western states. There was no guarantee that the U.S. Mint would purchase silver from the mine owners with all the cheap silver available on the marketplace from other countries.

Bland-Allison Act on February 28, 1878

The Sliver mine owners wanted more; it was owed to them for their financial help during the Civil War, and lobbied Congress forcefully for its return. The Comstock Lode in Nevada was yielding huge quantities of silver, with ore worth $36 million being extracted annually. After several futile attempts, the silver forces in Congress-led by Representative Richard ("Silver ") Bland of Missouri-finally succeeded, over the veto of President Rutherford B. Hayes (the 19th President), in winning authorization for a new silver dollar when Congress passed the Bland-Allison Act on February 28, 1878.

The following were the basic provisions under this act:

* The U.S. Treasury would be required to purchase between $2 million and $4 million worth of silver each month from the western mines.

* The Silver was to be purchased at the current market rate, not at a predetermined ratio tied to the value of gold.

* The silver would be used to mint coins at a ratio of 16:1 to gold, i.e.

* 16-ounces of silver would be equal to 1-ounce of gold, regardless of the individual metal's respective market value.

* The metal would be minted into legal tender silver dollars.

In November 1877, nearly four months before passage of the Bland-Allison Act, the Treasury began making preparations for a new dollar coin. Mint Director Henry P. Linderman ordered Chief Engraver William Barber and one of his assistants, George T. Morgan, to prepare pattern dollars, with the best design to be used on the new coin. Actually, Linderman fixed this "contest" in Morgan's favor; he had been dissatisfied with the work of the two Barbers-William and his son, Charles-and in 1876 had hired Morgan, a talented British engraver, with plans to entrust him with new coin designs. Following Linderman's orders that a head of Liberty should replace the full-figure depiction then in use, Morgan recruited Philadelphia school teacher Anna Willess Williams to pose for the new design.

Morgan's obverse features a left-facing portrait of Miss Liberty. The reverse depicts a somewhat scrawny eagle which led some to vilify the coin as a "buzzard dollar." The designer's initial M appears on both sides-a first. It's on the truncation of Liberty's neck and on the ribbon's left loop on the reverse. Mintmarks (O, S, D, and CC) are found below the wreath on the reverse.

The first business strikes (coins minted for circulation) were struck on March 12, 1878. They exhibited eight tail feathers (8TF) on the reverse along with a totally flat breast on the eagle. From March 26 through April 4 the Morgan dollars were struck from modified dies with