Liberty’s head, facing left. She wears a Phrygian cap, with the word LIBERTY on her hair band. Various agricultural features are seen, including wheat and oak leaves. Above the portrait is E PLURIBUS UNUM, with each word separated by a single dot. To the left are seven stars and another six are to the right. The date is below, and the designer's initial, “M” for Morgan, is on the truncation of the neck.

In 1876, George T. Morgan began creating a series of new coin designs at the behest of the Director of the Mint, Dr. Henry R. Linderman. Morgan opted to use the profile of an American girl to depict Liberty instead of simply creating an imaginary figure for the obverse of his new design. After he rejected several possible candidates, Morgan's friend, artist Thomas Eakins, recommended Anna Williams of Philadelphia. Anna Willess Williams (1857 – April 17, 1926) was a teacher and philosophical writer. She reluctantly sat for five modelling sessions with Morgan in November 1876 after being convinced to do so by friends. Morgan was impressed with her profile, stating that it was the most perfect he had seen in England or America. The silver dollar bearing her likeness was first struck on March 11, 1878. A condition of her sitting for Morgan was that her identity be kept secret, but the subject of the portrait was revealed to be Williams shortly after the dollar was released. Williams was troubled by her newly acquired fame, receiving thousands of letters and visits at both her home and workplace. Williams preferred not to talk about her modelling work with Morgan, dismissing it as an "incident of my youth."

A Bald Eagle with wings outstretched with a small wreath surrounding. An olive branch and three arrows are within the eagle’s claws. The motto IN GOD WE TRUST is above, and the denomination ONE DOLLAR is below. UNITED STATES OF AMERICA surrounds both the wreath and eagle.

The mint marks appearing on the coins are none, representing Philadelphia, "CC" for Carson City, "S" for San Francisco, "O" for New Orleans and "D" for Denver. Mintmarks for all mints except Philadelphia were placed just beneath the ribbon bow of the wreath.