How do I calculate silver dollar melt value?

Multiply the current silver spot price per troy ounce by 0.7734. That is the approximate pure-silver content in a Morgan or Peace dollar. Asking prices for common circulated coins are usually a bit higher than melt, not equal to it.

How much is a 1921 silver dollar worth?

A common circulated 1921 Morgan is usually worth about $25 to $60. A 1921 Peace dollar is the scarcer first-year high-relief issue and often brings roughly $150 to $300 circulated, with much higher prices in uncirculated grades.

How much is a 1922 silver dollar worth?

A 1922 silver dollar is almost always a Peace dollar. Common circulated examples are typically worth about $25 to $45. Uncirculated coins bring more, but worn 1922s are not key dates.

How much is a 1971 or 1972 silver dollar worth?

Most 1971 and 1972 Eisenhower dollars are copper-nickel clad, not silver, and worn examples are usually worth little over face value. Only special Mint silver issues contain about 40% silver.

Is a 1979 silver dollar actually silver?

No. A 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar contains no silver. It is copper-nickel clad and usually worth face value unless uncirculated or a scarce variety.

How can I tell if my dollar coin is real silver?

A genuine Morgan or Peace dollar weighs about 26.73 grams, has a reeded edge, and is dated 1935 or earlier. Most Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, and Sacagawea dollars are not silver.

What is the most valuable Morgan silver dollar?

The 1893-S is the key business-strike date of the series. Even worn examples often sell for thousands, and top graded coins can reach six figures. Proof-only 1895 coins are also extremely valuable.

What does the CC mint mark mean?

CC stands for Carson City, Nevada. Carson City Morgan dollars carry a strong collector premium on top of their silver value, even on more common dates.

Should I clean my silver dollar?

No. Cleaning removes original surfaces and usually lowers value. Leave the coin alone and have a valuable-looking example graded or authenticated instead.

Silver Dollar Value: A Complete Guide by Type, Date, and Condition

Obverse and reverse of an 1879-S Morgan silver dollar graded NGC MS67+, showing bright silver-white surfaces — Both sides of an 1879-S Morgan dollar. The date sits below Liberty's neck on the front, and the S mint mark is on the reverse below the wreath. Image: Brandon Grossardt / Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Silver dollar gets used loosely. People apply it to anything large, heavy, and old-looking, including coins that are not actually silver at all. The real answer depends entirely on which coin you have. A common Morgan or Peace dollar is worth $25 to $60 in average condition. A key date in top grade can be worth six figures. And a 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar? It contains no silver whatsoever, despite the size and color fooling a lot of people.

Here is how to sort out what you actually have.

What silver dollars are selling for right now

These are live eBay auctions for single Morgan silver dollars, the type most people mean when they say silver dollar. Listings are led by certified coins at the top of the market. Common circulated examples often sit near silver melt value and are not the focus here. What a seller asks and what a coin finally sells for are also not the same thing.

Live auction listings from eBay, refreshed daily. Asking prices and bids are what sellers and bidders hope to get, not confirmed sale values, and listings are not checked or endorsed by us.

How much is a silver dollar worth?

For the two most commonly found types, Morgan silver dollars (1878 to 1921) and Peace dollars (1921 to 1935), most circulated common-date examples trade for roughly $25 to $60. That range moves with the silver market, because every genuine Morgan or Peace dollar contains the same amount of silver: 0.7734 troy ounces.

Melt value is not a fixed dollar number. To estimate today's floor, multiply the current silver spot price per troy ounce by 0.7734. Dealers and collectors usually pay a bit above that melt figure for a problem-free common coin, which is why retail asking prices sit in a band above pure silver content rather than exactly on melt. Key dates, Carson City mint marks, and high grades sit far above any melt calculation.

Value climbs sharply for:

Key dates and rare mint marks (some worth $1,000 to $400,000+)
High-grade uncirculated coins (even common dates can bring $100 to $500+ in top condition)
Carson City (CC) mint mark coins, which carry a built-in collector premium regardless of date

How much does a silver dollar weigh?

A genuine Morgan or Peace silver dollar weighs 26.73 grams (about 0.859 troy ounces total coin weight) and contains 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver. If your dollar-sized coin is noticeably lighter, or fails other checks below, it is probably a modern clad issue rather than classic silver.

Step 1: confirm it is actually silver

Before checking value, make sure you have a genuine pre-1935 silver dollar and not a look-alike:

Weight: a genuine silver dollar (Morgan or Peace) weighs 26.73 grams.
Date: classic silver dollars were minted from 1794 to 1935. Anything dated 1971 or later is a different story (see below).
Edge: real silver dollars have a reeded (ridged) edge.
Sound test: a genuine silver coin produces a longer, higher-pitched ring when tapped, versus a duller thud from clad coins. This is not fully reliable on its own.

Common mix-ups: 1971, 1972, and 1979 dollar coins

Searches for 1971 silver dollar value, 1972 silver dollar value, and 1979 silver dollar are common, but those dates are almost never classic silver dollars. Here is what people are usually holding:

Eisenhower (Ike) dollars (1971 to 1978): most circulation strikes are copper-nickel clad and worth little over face value when worn. Only special Mint-sold uncirculated and proof issues contain about 40% silver. An S mint mark can indicate a San Francisco special strike.
1971 and 1972 Ike dollars: treat them as clad unless you can confirm a silver Mint issue. Ordinary circulated examples are not silver-dollar money.
Susan B. Anthony dollars (1979 to 1981, 1999): contain no silver at all. They are copper-nickel clad, same as a modern quarter. A 1979 dollar is usually worth face value unless uncirculated or a scarce variety.
Sacagawea / Native American dollars (2000 to present): also not silver. They are manganese-brass clad.

If your coin is dated after 1935 and is not a special Mint proof or silver issue, do not expect Morgan or Peace dollar values.

Morgan silver dollars (1878 to 1921)

Designed by George T. Morgan and struck at Philadelphia, San Francisco, New Orleans, and Carson City (plus Denver in 1921 only), Morgans are the most widely collected U.S. silver dollar.

Where to look: the date is on the obverse below Liberty's neck. The mint mark is on the reverse, below the wreath.

Date / type	Mint mark	Circulated	Uncirculated (MS63+)
Common dates (e.g. 1921, most P-mint)	Mint markVaries	Circulated$25 - $60	Uncirculated (MS63+)$60 - $200
Carson City (any date)	Mint markCC	Circulated$150 - $500+	Uncirculated (MS63+)$500 - $2,000+
1889-CC	Mint markCC	Circulated$500 - $2,000	Uncirculated (MS63+)$50,000+
1893-S	Mint markS	Circulated$3,700 - $6,000	Uncirculated (MS63+)$100,000+
1892-S	Mint markS	Circulated$200 - $1,500	Uncirculated (MS63+)$50,000+
1895 (proof only)	Mint marknone	CirculatedProof only	Uncirculated (MS63+)$50,000+

These ranges are for informational purposes only and are not a professional appraisal or grading opinion. They reflect typical retail and auction sales, prices move with the silver market and collector demand, and certified coins in the very highest grades sell well above these figures.

The 1893-S is the undisputed key date of the series. Only 100,000 were struck, making it the lowest-mintage business-strike Morgan. Even heavily worn examples often start around $3,700.

Peace silver dollars (1921 to 1935)

Struck as America emerged from World War I, the Peace dollar has a shorter, simpler series than the Morgan: 14 years across fewer mints, which makes it more approachable to collect as a full set.

Date / type	Mint mark	Circulated	Uncirculated (MS63+)
Common dates	Mint markVaries	Circulated$25 - $45	Uncirculated (MS63+)$60 - $200
1921 (high relief, first year)	Mint marknone	Circulated$150 - $300	Uncirculated (MS63+)$1,000+
1928	Mint marknone	Circulated$400 - $600	Uncirculated (MS63+)$3,000+
1934-S	Mint markS	Circulated$150 - $400	Uncirculated (MS63+)$5,000 - $20,000+

These ranges are for informational purposes only and are not a professional appraisal or grading opinion. The 1934-S becomes especially valuable in high uncirculated grades because few survived in top condition.

The 1928 is the key date of the series due to a low mintage of just over 360,000. The 1934-S is more available in worn condition but becomes extremely valuable in high uncirculated grades.

1921 and 1922 silver dollar value

1921 and 1922 are two of the most searched silver dollar years, mainly because both Morgan and Peace designs exist around that transition, and because 1922 Peace dollars are among the most commonly found examples in inherited collections.

1921 Morgan silver dollar: the final Morgan year, and the only year Denver (D) struck Morgans. Common circulated examples usually fall in the typical $25 to $60 silver-dollar range unless the mint mark or grade is scarce.
1921 Peace dollar: first-year high-relief issue with no mint mark. Worth more than a common Peace dollar, often roughly $150 to $300 circulated and $1,000+ in stronger uncirculated grades.
1922 silver dollar: almost always a Peace dollar. Common circulated 1922 examples are usually worth about $25 to $45. Uncirculated coins bring more, but a worn 1922 is not a key date.

If you are not sure whether a 1921 coin is a Morgan or a Peace dollar, check the reverse design and the overall relief. The Peace reverse shows an eagle at rest with the word PEACE, while the Morgan reverse has a different eagle-and-wreath layout. Full values for both 1921 designs are here: 1921 silver dollar value guide

What actually determines value

Five things, in order of impact:

Series and date: Morgan versus Peace, and where it falls in the key-date hierarchy above.
Mint mark: Carson City (CC) coins carry a premium across the board. Scarce combinations like 1893-S or 1889-CC drive the biggest prices.
Condition: the gap between a worn common-date coin ($30) and a gem uncirculated example of the same coin ($200+) is substantial.
Silver spot price: every genuine silver dollar contains 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver, so melt value rises and falls with the market. Multiply today's silver spot price by 0.7734 for a rough floor, then expect common coins to trade a bit above that.
Surface condition: coins stored in old PVC flips can develop green residue that reduces value. Toning (color change) can either help or hurt depending on how it looks.

Quick self-check

Confirm the date is 1794 to 1935, or check whether it is a special silver proof issue from 1971 onward.
Identify whether it is a Morgan (1878 to 1921) or Peace (1921 to 1935) design.
Find the mint mark on the reverse.
Compare against the key-date tables above.
Assess condition: sharp details and strong luster versus heavy wear.
Do not clean it. Cleaning strips original surfaces and reduces value, even on common coins.

Not sure what you have?

Between Morgans, Peace dollars, Eisenhower dollars, and modern look-alikes, it is easy to misjudge what is sitting in your hand, especially since size and weight alone do not tell you if a coin is silver.

Snap a photo and get a read on the type, date, and mint mark in seconds, so you know whether you are holding silver or a modern clad coin.

One coin
Good lighting
Fill the frame
Plain background

Common questions

How much is a silver dollar worth?: Most circulated Morgan and Peace dollars trade for roughly $25 to $60, but that band moves with silver prices. Each coin contains 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver, so multiply today's silver spot price by 0.7734 for melt value, then expect a small collector premium on top for common dates. Key dates, Carson City mint marks, and high-grade coins can be worth far more.
How do I calculate silver dollar melt value?: Multiply the current silver spot price per troy ounce by 0.7734. That is the approximate pure-silver content in a Morgan or Peace dollar. Asking prices for common circulated coins are usually a bit higher than melt, not equal to it.
How much does a silver dollar weigh?: A genuine Morgan or Peace silver dollar weighs 26.73 grams and contains 0.7734 troy ounces of pure silver. Lighter dollar-sized coins are usually modern clad issues.
How much is a 1921 silver dollar worth?: A common circulated 1921 Morgan is usually worth about $25 to $60. A 1921 Peace dollar is the scarcer first-year high-relief issue and often brings roughly $150 to $300 circulated, with much higher prices in uncirculated grades.
How much is a 1922 silver dollar worth?: A 1922 silver dollar is almost always a Peace dollar. Common circulated examples are typically worth about $25 to $45. Uncirculated coins bring more, but worn 1922s are not key dates.
How much is a 1971 or 1972 silver dollar worth?: Most 1971 and 1972 Eisenhower dollars are copper-nickel clad, not silver, and worn examples are usually worth little over face value. Only special Mint silver issues contain about 40% silver.
Is a 1979 silver dollar actually silver?: No. A 1979 Susan B. Anthony dollar contains no silver. It is copper-nickel clad and usually worth face value unless uncirculated or a scarce variety.
How can I tell if my dollar coin is real silver?: A genuine Morgan or Peace dollar weighs about 26.73 grams, has a reeded edge, and is dated 1935 or earlier. Most Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, and Sacagawea dollars are not silver.
What is the most valuable Morgan silver dollar?: The 1893-S is the key business-strike date of the series. Even worn examples often sell for thousands, and top graded coins can reach six figures. Proof-only 1895 coins are also extremely valuable.
What does the CC mint mark mean?: CC stands for Carson City, Nevada. Carson City Morgan dollars carry a strong collector premium on top of their silver value, even on more common dates.
Should I clean my silver dollar?: No. Cleaning removes original surfaces and usually lowers value. Leave the coin alone and have a valuable-looking example graded or authenticated instead.

iOS app

Scan coins on your iPhone

Identify coins from photos wherever you find them - at estate sales, in change jars, or out with a metal detector.

Free on the App Store

Last reviewed August 2026. Values are estimates for informational purposes only, not a professional appraisal or grading opinion.