1878 Pattern Morgan Standard Dollar. Judd-1550a, Pollock-1725. Rarity-6-. Silver. Reeded Edge. Proof-65 Cameo (NGC).
Obv: Essentially the same design that the Mint adopted for regular issue Morgan silver dollar production in 1878. On examples of Judd-1725, as represented by the coin in this lot, the point of the truncation of Liberty's neck is close to star 1 and relatively distant from the digit 1 in the date. Additionally, the wheat ear at the top of Liberty's portrait is distant from the letter R in PLURIBUS. Rev: Also very similar in design to that adopted for the regular issue Morgan dollar series, but there are two important differences. First, there are no notches on the undersides of the eagle's wings where they join the torso. Second, there are three leaves on the branch in the eagle's right talon, all of which are clustered at the end of the branch. This Cameo Gem is a real delight to behold, what with strong field-to-device contrast on bright, brilliant surfaces. The strike is razor sharp throughout and there are few blemishes in evidence, as befits the assigned grade. One of several highly significant patterns featuring Morgan's famous design that we are offering in this sale, this coin is sure to see spirited bidding. The Judd-1550 and Judd-1550a patterns represent the first silver strikings of the design that would eventually develop into the regular issue Morgan silver dollar. Approximately 50 specimens were struck in the Mint from December 1, 1877 to January 2, 1878, using several different die pairings. Given the extreme popularity of the Morgan dollar with collectors, these patterns enjoy an equally strong following among advanced specialists. A rare type, the die variety represented by the Pollock-1725 attribution has an extant population of "over a half dozen confirmed in silver" (per uspatterns.com ).
PCGS# 388669. NGC ID: 2AF2.
NGC Census: 1; 1 finer in this category (Proof-66 Cameo). The corresponding PCGS Population is also 1/1 (Proof-66 Cameo finest). There are no Deep/Ultra cameo specimens listed at either service.
From our (Bowers and Merena's) Philadelphia Rarities Sale of September 2009, lot 1468.

Estimate: $9800