U.S. Morgan Silver Dollar, San Francisco Mint - 1881 - United States

These large silver coins are known as Morgan dollars, named after their designer George T. Morgan. They were minted by the United States between 1878 and 1904, with a short one year revival in 1921, although the coins in this specific group are all dated 1881 and were minted in San Francisco. The Morgan dollar was put into production at five U.S. Mints: Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, Carson City, and Denver. Their production coincided with America’s westward expansion and the industrial development of the late 19th century. Interestingly, despite the millions of Morgan dollars minted, they did not circulate widely in the eastern United States, where paper currency was preferred. However, they found popularity in the American West, where cowboys nicknamed them "cartwheels" due to their large size and weight. The production of Morgan dollars was a result of the Bland–Allison Act of 1878, which required the U.S. treasury to purchase large amounts of silver for coinage. The act