
Hey there! That's a great question about one of America's most iconic coins.
A silver dollar is composed of 90% silver and 10% copper. The U.S. Mint used this specific alloy for a very practical reason. While the coin's value came from its high silver content, adding a bit of copper made the coin much harder and more durable, allowing it to stand up to the wear and tear of daily circulation.
Based on this 90% silver composition, each Morgan dollar contains exactly 0.77344 troy ounces of pure silver. This standard was set by the Bland-Allison Act of 1878, which authorized the creation of the coin and required the Treasury to purchase millions of dollars' worth of silver each month to be minted into these famous dollars.


