1878 7/8TF $1 Strong MS PL

Key to Collecting: When it was decided to change the standard tail feather count from eight to seven, the reverse dies already on hand with eight tail feathers were adapted by impression of the master die for the seven tail feather motif. The impression did not obliterate certain tips of the first eight tail feathers, and today various dies show some of the earlier tail feathers still visible. As a handy rule of thumb, to command a market premium the number of vestigial tips visible under the seven tail feathers should be at least four, with the more the better, some having as many as seven showing. This used to be called 7 Over 8 Tail Feathers, a good description of the die-making process, but not reflective of the number of tail feathers that can be seen. Today, “Doubled Tail Feathers” is preferred.

Surface Quality: Usually seen with sharp strike on both sides. Check to be sure that the eagle’s breast feathers are well defined. Certified examples of this reverse variety have been classified by the services as “weak” or “strong.” (“Strong” refers to coins with four or more underfeather tips easily visible, not to the striking quality during the coining process.) Typically seen with satiny luster, although many are below average and some are dull, gray, and lifeless. Search for quality.

Prooflike Coins: Prooflike coins (one or both sides) are sometimes encountered, but not with deep mirror surfaces against frosty motifs.

Mintage and Distribution: The 1878, Doubled Tail Feathers, dollars were bagged and shipped from the Philadelphia Mint in early 1878. Many were circulated, but large quantities remained in storage, and later Treasury releases yielded many Mint State coins, including during the 1962 through 1964 era.

1878, Doubled Tail Feathers—VAM-41. Shows the ends of seven feathers and also a doubling of the eagle’s right leg and talon.

1878, Doubled Tail Feathers, Tripled Blossoms—VAM-44 The bottom edges of the blossoms and leaves in Liberty’s headdress are tripled. The reverse is the same as VAM-33 with doubled legs and an extra five small tail feathers, this per the description in The Top 100 Morgan Dollar Varieties, which also notes that this may be the single most sought-after specialized variety in the series.