How do you identify a silver dollar and its value?

Answer 1

True US silver dollars (those made of 90% silver and 10% copper) were minted intermittently from 1794 to 1935. However, the 2 most types that are most commonly found are:

• Morgan dollars, minted from 1878 to 1921, and named for their designer George T. Morgan
• Peace dollars, minted from 1921 to 1935, and named for the reverse design honoring the end of WWI

Aside from the dates, the picture of Miss Liberty on the front of a Morgan dollar is similar to the face of the Statue of Liberty (although the Morgan dollar came first!) and the eagle on the back has its wings spread. The picture of Miss Liberty on a Peace dollar is very modernistic and the eagle has its wings folded.

Once you know the dates, you have to see if the coin has a mint mark indicating where it was made. On a Morgan dollar, the mint mark location is above the DO in DOLLAR on the back; on a Peace dollar it's below the word ONE. Possible mint marks are:

• None = Philadelphia
• O = New Orleans (up to 1904)
• D = Denver (1921 and later)
• S = San Francisco
• CC = Carson City (up to 1893)

Once you know that, you have to look at a price guide like the ones linked below. That'll give you an idea of selling prices; buying prices are about 2/3 of selling prices.