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1878
| Weight | 1.672 g |
| Diameter | 15 mm |
| Mint | Philadelphia |
| Strike | Circulation strike |
| Mintage | 3,020 |
| Edge | Reeded |
| Alignment | ↑↓ Coin |
| Composition | 90% Gold, 10% Copper |
| Melt value | — |
| Designer | James B. Longacre |
| Collector's Key ID | CK-5314 |
Collection
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No additional varieties recorded for this strike.
External references
Philadelphia struck 3,020 gold dollars in 1878, one of the lowest figures in the series outside of the extreme 1875 rarity. The resumption of specie payments was approaching (January 1, 1879), and the gap between gold coin face value and greenback purchasing power was narrowing. The Bland-Allison Act of February 1878 authorized the resumption of silver dollar production, beginning the Morgan dollar series, but the gold dollar's production remained minimal.
The 1878 is one of the scarcer dates in the Type 3 series. PCGS estimates roughly 40 to 60 survive across all grades. Most grade Fine to Extremely Fine. Uncirculated examples are genuinely scarce, and gems are rare. The coin occupies the deepest trough of the series' production history, just before mintages began recovering in the 1880s.
Reference data only — not an appraisal.
| Grade | Description | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| G-4 | Good (G) | — | — |
| VG-8 | Very Good (VG) | — | — |
| F-12 | Fine (F) | — | — |
| VF-20 | Very Fine (VF) | $345 | $395 |
| EF-40 | Extremely Fine (EF) | $365 | $420 |
| AU-50 | About Uncirculated (AU) | $400 | $465 |
| MS-60 | Uncirculated (MS) | $705 | $815 |
| MS-63 | Choice Uncirculated (MS) | $1,700 | $1,800 |
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