1878 Morgan Silver Dollar. 8 Tailfeathers. Proof-65 Cameo (NGC). An enchanting specimen that offers exceptional quality and outstanding visual appeal for this key date Proof Morgan dollar issue. Both sides are fully untoned with a bright, brilliant appearance that allows full appreciation of a boldly cameoed finish. Smartly impressed design elements are frosty in texture and set against a backdrop of illimitable reflectivity in the fields. The surfaces are remarkably well preserved and border on pristine.<p>Among Proof Morgan dollars, few pieces are as desired as that of 1878 with 8 Tailfeathers, representing the first style of the design, and thus very distinctive. The mintage is not known with certainty, but is usually estimated at 500 pieces, reasonable enough, as examples are elusive today. Although a production of 500 coins would indicate that specimens would come on the market with some frequency, this is simply not true. For some reason, examples are rarer than they should be, perhaps calling into question the estimate. Whatever the situation, today the Proof 1878 8 Tailfeathers is indeed rare, and examples, when seen, usually come on the market one at a time, and at widely spaced intervals. Indeed, this is one of our few offering for the issue in recent years. As a solidly graded Gem with a pronounced cameo finish, we unhesitatingly describe this specimen as both an absolute and condition rarity. It is also a beautiful coin, and is eagerly awaiting inclusion in an advanced Proof type or date set. PCGS# 87311. NGC ID: 2572. NGC Census: 6; 18 finer in this category (Proof-67+ Cameo finest). From the Huber Collection.
