1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar PCGS MS65P

It's more compelling than a Western, the tale of this coin, an 1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar - PCGS MS65; grab it now while you still can. It's a time when pioneers, bandits, prospectors and cowboys, jostled side-by-side to tame a harsh landscape in the American West. It's an era when people knew great optimism, but also great hardship while working for a better life. The American Frontier, an era that is nowhere more exemplified than in the coins struck at the Carson City Mint, Nevada.

Delayed by the Civil War and fraught with problems, the need for a Carson City Mint was agreed on in 1863, but the construction was delayed, and coin production didn't get underway until 1870. The Mint then chartered a difficult course, characterized by intermittent coin production, most of which had a low mintage and its tumultuous history finally came to an end in 1893. Today these coins are cherished more than any others by collectors of the Morgan Silver Dollar.

Hold this coin in the palm for your hand and gain a rare insight into a bygone era, obscured by the mists of time. Imagine a couple of prospectors down on their luck who'd made the decision to give up their claim; they briefly stop to dig for water and quite by chance see the telltale signs of gold. It was a mine from which gold and then silver would be unearthed. The place would come to be known as the Comstock Lode, and it changed the course of American history. A vast number of prospectors descended on the area, and the region developed swiftly, contributing hugely to the rise of the American West. That's why this coin more than other resonates with collectors; it's your ticket to the Old West.

The coin was designed by George Morgan an English engraver, who had been recommended for a post at the U.S. Mint. George left all he knew behind him, set sail for America and a new life in Philadelphia. Not long after arriving, Morgan was given the task of designing a new silver dollar. The obverse design depicts a profile portrait of Liberty, based on Anna Willess Williams, a local school teacher whom Morgan admired for having the most perfect profile he?d ever seen. Surrounding Anna's portrait is 13 stars representing the original colonies forming the United States, plus the words E. PLURIBUS UNUM and the year of issue.

The reverse design shows an eagle with wings spread wide, based on drawings Morgan completed from nature. The eagle clasps arrows representing America's ability to defend itself and an olive branch representing peace. A wreath tied with a bow curves around much of the eagle. The words UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, In God we trust, and the value of ONE DOLLAR also appear. Crucially, on the examples struck in Carson City, the letters CC appear just below the bow. Look closely and you might just make out a tiny "M" on the left-hand loop of the bow.

Grasp the American West in your fingertips with this 1884-CC $1 Morgan Silver Dollar - PCGS MS65, you never know who might have held it before you. Buy this coin work your way to having a fistful of dollars.

• Carson City Morgan Dollar
• CC mint mark
• Mint state 65
• Issue year: 1884
• Classic George T. Morgan design
• Diameter: 38.1mm
• Weight: 26.73g
• 90% silver, 10% copper