Which US coin, authorized in 1792, was the first official silver dollar of the United States?

The Flowing Hair dollar was the first official silver dollar issued by the United States, authorized under the Coinage Act of 1792 and first struck in 1794.

Designed by engraver Robert Scot, the coin showed Liberty with flowing hair on the obverse and an eagle on the reverse. The design reflected the new republic’s attempt to create a national coinage independent of British and colonial monetary traditions.

The 1794 dollar is especially famous among collectors because very few were made and surviving examples are rare. Production continued with a modified design in 1795 before the Draped Bust dollar replaced it.

It is not the same coin as the Morgan dollar, which began in 1878, or the Peace dollar, which began in 1921. The Trade dollar was also later and was made largely for commerce in Asia.