A silver dollar is a one-dollar coin issued by the United States that is composed primarily of silver. Historically, the term refers to the dollar coins produced for general circulation from 1794 until 1935, which were made from an alloy of 90% silver and 10% copper. These coins were used in daily commerce and represent the traditional understanding of a silver dollar. Production of these circulating silver coins ceased after 1935.
In contemporary usage, the term also encompasses modern coins produced by the United States Mint that are not intended for general circulation. This includes the American Silver Eagle, which is the official silver bullion coin of the United States. Introduced in 1986, each American Silver Eagle coin contains one troy ounce of 99.9% pure silver and carries a face value of one dollar. Additionally, the U.S. Mint has issued various commemorative silver dollars since 1982 to honor notable American individuals, places, or events.
It is important to distinguish these genuine silver coins from later dollar coins that are merely silver-colored. For example, the Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, Sacagawea, and Presidential dollar coins are composed of base metals like copper and nickel and contain no silver, with the exception of specific collector versions. Therefore, while they share the one-dollar denomination, they are not classified as silver dollars in terms of their metallic content.
