Why are 1898 silver dollars worth more than 1897 silver dollars?

Answer 1

This is a variation on an extremely old joke. The reason is (drum roll)

1,898 silver dollars are worth 1 dollar more than 1,897 dollars (ba DING!)

Answer

Generally speaking, they're not.

Value of individual coins depends on date, mintmark, & condition -- all three factors have to be taken into consideration.

So like if two coins in equal condition, one dated 1897 and one dated 1898, but one has a mintmark and the other doesn't, then one could be worth significantly more than the other.

It all has to do with rarity. Whichever coin has the lowest mintage will generally be worth more money. Mintmarks have to be taken into account, because this indicates which mint facility the coin was made at, and each mint facility wil have different total mintages each year.

I hope this helps,

Dan