| American silver dollars have been produced on | | | | amazed at how many different coins are in |
| and off since the first 1,758 coins were minted in | | | | circulation. And looking at the coins in your pocket |
| 1794. An unsteady supply of the ore and a series | | | | will familiarize you with condition, wear, and other |
| of U.S. government acts instigated by powerful | | | | factors that are important in collecting. |
| miners kept the coins in and out of production | | | | While you could collect pennies, nickels, dimes, or |
| until the last Peace Dollars were produced in 1935. | | | | quarters, silver dollars are the most appealing on |
| Since then, circulated dollar coins - including the | | | | many levels - size, weight, appearance, and |
| Eisenhower, Susan B. Anthony, and Sacagawea | | | | availability, to name a few. You can find good |
| dollars have not contained enough silver to be | | | | quality coins for less than $35. And there's an |
| silver dollars. | | | | active market for buying and selling U.S. silver |
| Types of U.S. silver dollars. | | | | dollars. |
| 1) The Flowing Hair design was produced in very | | | | Buying your first coins. |
| small numbers from 1794 to 1795 | | | | At first, it's hard to know which coins to buy. If |
| 2) The Draped Bust design was produced from | | | | you don't have a lot to invest, Morgan silver dollar |
| 1795 to 1804 | | | | are probably your best bet. |
| 3) The Seated Liberty design was produced from | | | | One strategy that's helpful is to start collecting |
| 1836 to 1873 | | | | coins with a common denominator. For instance, |
| 4) The Trade Dollar was produced from 1873 to | | | | you could collect coins minted in one city. This |
| 1878 (with some proof coins being minted until | | | | could be affordable or expensive depending on |
| 1885) | | | | the mint. There are fewer Carson City coins, so |
| 5) The Morgan design was produced from 1878 | | | | they are usually more expensive. |
| to 1904, and then again briefly in 1921 | | | | Another option is to collect silver dollars from |
| 6) The Peace design was produced from 1921 to | | | | different mints that were produced in the same |
| 1928, and then again in 1934 and 1935 | | | | year. This could be more valuable over time, but |
| Collecting the coins can be a hobby, an | | | | it will probably be a bigger up-front investment. |
| investment, or both. The coins are beautiful, | | | | Be sure you know the fair market value of any |
| portable, easy to store and care for, and they | | | | coin you buy. You can research prices at or using |
| are a little slice of history that you can hold in | | | | the Official Red Book Guide. And always purchase |
| your hand - relics of a bygone era. | | | | from a reputable dealer. Many beginners have a |
| You don't have to spend a lot of money to get | | | | hard time knowing the condition of coins, which |
| started. Just get in the habit of sorting through | | | | has a big impact on their actual value. |
| the coins you come across every day. You'll be | | | | |