1881 O Morgan Silver Dollar Circulated Coin VG 8 or Better

The Morgan Dollar is named for its designer, United States Mint Assistant Engraver George T. Morgan. The design that eventually became the Morgan Dollar began its life as a pattern for a new half dollar. However the Director of the Mint, Henry Linderman, later instructed the Superintendent of the Philadelphia Mint James Pollock to have George Morgan and William Barber prepare patterns for a new silver dollar, and for Morgan's to be based on his half dollar pattern. Once the designs were completed, Linderman selected Morgan's design for the new silver dollar.

The image of Liberty that appears on the obverse of the Morgan Dollar was modeled after Anna Willess Williams. It was important to Morgan that the design be based upon an actual American woman, rather than the usual Greek style figures, and Morgan declared her profile to be the most perfect he had seen.

The Morgan Dollar was initially minted only at the Philadelphia Mint, largely because the dies were not available to supply the San Francisco and Carson City Mints. After small changes were made to the design, San Francisco and Carson City received their dies and began minting coins in April of 1878. The New Orleans Mint began producing the dollars in 1879, and the Denver Mint struck a number of Morgan Dollars, but only in 1921. All Morgan Dollars contained .900 (90%) silver and .100 (10%) copper with a diameter of 38.1mm and a weight of 412.5 grains (26.73g.)

The Morgan Dollar dies went through several changes during its minting, mostly small changes. However, the amount of variation in the coins is so great that there are several guides to the great number of different Morgan Dollars that exist, including the Red Book of Morgan Silver Dollars and the Top 100 Morgan Dollar VAM Keys.