Lot 001Coin values
1878 Morgan Dollar
PHILADELPHIA · 90% SILVER, 10% COPPER · 10,508,800 STRUCK
Worth about $50–$60 circulated and $220–$300 in MS-65.
The 1878 Morgan Dollar is a common date from the Philadelphia Mint, with 10,508,800 pieces struck. In circulated grades (G-4 to EF-40) our estimate is $50–$60, and a well-preserved MS-65 example is estimated at $220–$300. Circulated coins of this date trade at or just above the value of their metal, so the live melt value on this page is the best guide to a worn coin.
First year of the Morgan dollar. Three varieties exist by tail feather count: 8 tail feathers (about 750,000), 7 tail feathers and 7 over 8 tail feathers.
Includes the 8 tail feathers, 7 tail feathers and 7 over 8 tail feather varieties. One tabulation rounds this to 10,500,000.
1878Philadelphia
Catalogue medallion. We do not yet hold a licensed photograph of this exact date and mint, so none is shown rather than one with a different date.
- Mint
- Philadelphia
- Composition
- 90% silver, 10% copper
- Mintage
- 10,508,800
- Weight and size
- 26.73 g · 38.1 mm
- Designer
- George T. Morgan
Among the more plentiful: 76% of issues in the series have a smaller mintage. 10,508,800 struck. Mintage is the number struck, not the number that survive.
8 tail feathers
Count the tail feathers on the reverse. The 8 tail feathers type (about 750,000) has a flatter, more rounded eagle breast.
7 tail feathers
Seven feathers, with a slightly different eagle design. Most 1878 dollars are this type.
7 over 8
The 7/8 tail feathers variety is the transition between the two.
About the 1878 Morgan
How much is a 1878 Morgan Dollar worth?
Lustre's editorial estimate (Oct 2026) is $50–$60 for circulated examples (G-4 to EF-40) and $220–$300 in MS-65. These are estimates, not an appraisal or market data. A coin in the grade you hold may sell for less at a dealer, who needs a margin.
Is a 1878 Morgan Dollar silver?
Yes. It is 90% silver, 10% copper and weighs 26.73 g, which is 0.7735 troy ounces of pure silver. Its melt value is that weight multiplied by the current silver spot price, shown live on this page.
How many 1878 Morgan Dollars were minted?
10,508,800 were struck at the Philadelphia Mint. Includes the 8 tail feathers, 7 tail feathers and 7 over 8 tail feather varieties. One tabulation rounds this to 10,500,000.
Where is the mint mark on a Morgan Dollar?
On the reverse, below the wreath and above the letters ONE. Philadelphia coins have no mint mark.
Is my 1878 Morgan Dollar rare?
No. It is a common date. Its value depends mostly on grade, originality and, for silver coins, the melt value.
More Morgan Dollar values
Where these numbers come from
Morgan dollar, Wikipedia: mintage, composition, weight, diameter, edge, designer.
Morgan dollar mintage, Landofcoins.com: mintage by year and mint.
Lustre editorial grade-value estimates, Lustre: grade value ranges (estimates, not market data).
gold-api.com spot prices (reference level for estimates), gold-api.com: reference spot prices behind the estimates.
How the estimates are made. Facts reviewed Oct 2026.