1878 $1 J-1550 PR(PCGS#61910)

June 2026 Showcase Auction U.S. Coins

Auctioneer

Stack's Bowers

Lot Number

2302

Grade

PR63

Price

23,180

Lot Description

<strong>Obv:</strong> Virtually identical to the design that the Mint adopted for regular issue Morgan dollar production in 1878. The point of the neck truncation is centered between star 1 and the digit 1 in the date, the wheat leaf at the top of Liberty's cap is distant from the letter R in PLURIBUS, and the designer's initial M is incuse on Liberty's neck. <strong>Rev:</strong> Similar to the adopted design, with notched wings, although there are only three leaves on the branch in the eagle's talon. Delicate silver and gold tinting with wisps of warmer powder blue and orange iridescence in isolated peripheral areas. Lightly frosted motifs contrast minimally with reflective fields. Expertly produced with razor sharp strike detail, light hairlining to the obverse explains the Proof-63 grade from PCGS, but no sizeable handling marks are evident.<p>According to Roger Burdette (as related on the <em>uspatterns.com</em> website), the Mint struck at least 50 silver impressions of both the Judd-1550a "fanshaped" wing and Judd-1550 "notched" wing prototype Morgan dollars between December 1, 1877 and January 2, 1878. Both are eagerly sought today by both advanced Morgan dollar collectors and pattern specialists. The <em>uspatterns.com</em> website accounts for fewer than a half dozen examples of Judd-1550 in numismatic hands.