1879 S Paf Thoughts On The True Number Minted.

Mr Bowers states "A handful of leftover reverses, shipped to the San Francisco Mint in 1878, created this coinage"

On page 29 of the Mint Directors report for FY 1878 report that 192 dies were shipped to San Francisco for use in the coining of the 1878 Morgan silver dollar.

Mr Bowers tells us that 43 obverse and 38 reverse dies were used in the production of the 1878 Morgan silver dollar made in San Francisco.

If there were 96 obverse and 96 reverse dies, then it is not hard to see that there might have been as many as 58 reverse dies available to be used in 1879.

It is not argued that this is a rare coin ( though I have found 18 in the bullion sellers of the North Bay Area of the San Francisco Bay Aea; in the last year.

It could be that this was replaced because of Quality control issues. Or it could be that there were a lot more minted than is currently thought. It may be that an unusual number of this issue were melted under the pitman act. We will never know, but it is interesting.

Thoughts?