That's a great question! When people talk about a "silver dollar" from the 1970s, they are almost always referring to the Eisenhower dollar, which was minted from 1971 to 1978. The value of these coins can be a little tricky because most of them aren't actually silver.
The vast majority of Eisenhower dollars you might find in an old coin jar, the ones intended for circulation, are made of a copper-nickel clad composition. These coins do not contain any silver and are typically only worth their face value of one dollar. If they are in perfect, uncirculated condition, a collector might pay a few dollars for one.
However, the U.S. Mint also created special versions for collectors that do contain silver. These coins were never meant for general circulation and were sold in special packaging. These collector's coins are composed of 40% silver. Their value is based on both the melt value of the silver they contain and their appeal to collectors.
Typically, the baseline value for one of these 40% silver Eisenhower dollars is around $9 to $12, depending on the current market price of silver. Coins that are in exceptional condition or are still in their original government packaging (often a blue envelope for uncirculated versions or a brown box for proof versions) can be worth more to a collector, sometimes in the $15 to $20 range or even higher for top-grade examples.
So, the key to knowing the value of your 1970s dollar is to figure out which version you have. The silver collector coins were all minted in San Francisco and will have an "S" mint mark. If your coin has no mint mark or a "D," it is the common copper-nickel version and is likely worth just its face value.
