Every time I take a Morgan Silver Dollar in my hand, I am overwhelmed by two things. First, by its sheer size; next, by the fascinating story behind what is arguably the most historic coin in American history.

Often referred to as “the king of coins,” the Morgan Silver Dollar is the largest coin ever minted for circulation in the United States. And at 26.73 grams of .900 Fine Silver, it is among the heaviest coins ever minted.

But to hold one in your hands is to feel the weight of history. It never fails to impress me that these coins were minted from ore mined at the largest silver strike in the history of North America—the famed bonanza known as the Comstock Lode.

Authorized by Congress in 1878, the Morgan Silver Dollar was designed by U.S. Mint engraver George T. Morgan. Generally considered among the most beautiful of all coins, it featured a heroic portrait of Lady Liberty on the obverse. The profiled image was encircled by the motto E Pluribus Unum, 13 stars for the 13 original colonies, the year of issue and Morgan’s monogram. Portrayed on the reverse was Morgan’s interpretation of the American Bald Eagle, which appears somewhat emaciated, prompting some critics to refer to the coin as the “buzzard dollar.”

Nicknamed the “cartwheel” because of its impressive size, the Morgan Silver Dollar will be forever remembered as the coin that accompanied pioneers and lawmen as they helped tame the Wild West. It was also the coin wagered by gamblers on the Mississippi river boats; and the one plundered by the daring bank robbers and desperadoes who blazed their way into the >history books in countless boom towns throughout the frontier.

The Morgan Silver Dollar was minted every year from 1878 to 1904. It returned in 1921 for a one-year minting run before being replaced by the Peace Dollar. Under terms laid down by the Pitman Act of 1918, the U.S. Treasury melted down approximately half the entire mintage—or hundreds of millions of dollars. Millions more were melted in the 1980s, when silver was selling for more than $50 an ounce.

This historic American coin was struck at U.S. Mint facilities in Philadelphia, San Francisco, Denver, New Orleans and Carson City, Nevada. The Carson City facility was in operation for only 13 years and struck only 2% of all Morgan Silver Dollars, making these coins—with the CC mintmark—the rarest of the rare.