One of the most significant known errors on a Morgan dollar sold for $78,000 and was a leading lot at Stack’s Bowers Galleries’ Nov. 19 Rarities Night session. The 1887 Morgan dollar, graded Mint State 63 by Professional Coin Grading Service, represented two error types: a brockage and an off-center striking.

The cataloger observed, “While the broadly off-center obverse is impressive and would make this a landmark error in its own right, the strike was also a brockage, with the ‘struck’ area of the reverse having been crushed against the obverse of another struck coin rather than a reverse die.”

The design is struck 55% off center, making it the farthest off-center strike known on the design type, according to Stack’s Bowers, who also reminded bidders that the presence of a full date makes it even more desirable. It was discovered by a slot machine technician working in 1960s Las Vegas. The description concluded that, with the Morgan obverse design on both sides, it would always be “heads” in a toss-up.

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