Ah, the silver dollar! A coin with a bit of an identity crisis when it comes to its weight. Asking how much one should weigh is a fantastic question, because the answer isn't a single number but a trip through history.
Let's start with the modern heavyweight champion, the American Silver Eagle. This hefty fellow is the straightforward one in the bunch, tipping the scales at precisely one troy ounce, or 31.1 grams, of glorious .999 pure silver. It's the bullion standard, no funny business involved.
But if you're holding one of the old-timers, like the classic Morgan or Peace dollars that once jingled in American pockets, you're dealing with a different beast. These vintage coins weigh a total of 26.73 grams. However, they were built for the rough and tumble of circulation, so they're only 90% silver, with 10% copper added for durability. This means the actual amount of silver in these historic pieces is about 0.7734 troy ounces.
And just to keep things interesting, you have the Eisenhower "Ike" dollars from the 1970s. While most are just regular pocket change, a special collector's version was minted with 40% silver. This groovy coin weighs in at 24.59 grams.
So, the weight of a silver dollar really depends on which one you've got your hands on. Is it the pure, modern bullion coin or one of its historic, alloyed ancestors? It’s a classic case of checking the coin's date before you trust the scale.
