While I was visiting the local coin shop recently I picked up some nice coins which I shared already. There are a few more I haven't quite got around to sharing yet. I don't usually frequent coin shops because I always buy more than I planned on, but it's always a lot of fun! This was another I picked up because I'm a sucker for Morgan dollars and the price was to good to turn down.
The San Francisco mint has been located in three different buildings since it began production in 1854. The California gold rush starting in 1849 was producing massive amounts of gold, so the mint opened the location to produce coinage out of the gold being produced. The first building was quickly outgrown and was replaced in 1874 increasing their production potential. An interesting fact is that the building was built on a granite and concrete base to prevent tunneling into the vaults. It was holding $300 million in gold during the 1906 earthquake, a third of the national gold reserves. The whole entire staff worked tirelessly to save the building from fire in the aftermath of the earthquake and protect the national gold reserves.
Enough of the back story, here's the coin, an 1881 S Morgan silver dollar:
About this particular coin:
Design: George T. Morgan
Year: 1881
Mint: San Francisco
Diameter: 38.1 mm
Weight: 26.73 grams
Composition: 90% silver and 10% copper
Edge: Reeded
Population: 12,760,000
It's a nice coin overall despite some bag mark wear. For a more than 140 year old coin it still looks pretty good. I have always loved the high relief designs of the Morgan, for practical reasons they are produced for circulation today. I hope you enjoyed my post, please feel free to comment or ask any questions below!
And please remember that collecting coins and stacking gold/silver is a great hobby but definitely not for everyone. You can lose money and you have to research before you make any purchase. Before you spend your hard earned money always do your due diligence by researching what you are buying. I am not a financial advisor and this isn't financial advice, I'm just a guy who loves coins and gold/silver stacking!
References:
https://www.usacoinbook.com/coins/3214/dollars/morgan/1881-S/