| On and off since the late seventeen-hundreds, the | | | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, (P), New Orleans, |
| United States has produced a wide variety of | | | | Louisiana (O), Carson City, Nevada (CC), San |
| dollar coins. Made of various metals at different | | | | Francisco, California (S) and Denver, Colorado (D). |
| points, including gold, silver, copper and nickel, they | | | | In the history of United States coinage, it is |
| have been a popular denomination with both the | | | | interesting to note that silver was in many ways |
| general public and coin collectors alike. Without a | | | | as valuable as gold, and was just as difficult to |
| doubt the most popular U.S. dollar coin is the silver | | | | come by. This is the reason that you will find that |
| dollar. For generations the silver dollar has held the | | | | the production numbers were quite limited due to |
| interest of not only coin enthusiasts, but also | | | | the difficulty in obtaining silver. When the value of |
| those who invest in precious metals. | | | | silver had risen to a point that it made the |
| Generally speaking, silver dollars are made up of | | | | production of silver dollars financially impractical, a |
| approximately 90% silver with an additional | | | | halt was placed on the production of the coins. |
| amount of copper added to give the coin added | | | | This was the case between the years of 1804 up |
| durability. As there was a short period of time | | | | until 1836. |
| when the content of silver in the coins was | | | | Production did not resume in full until the |
| increased by a small amount in order to compete | | | | discovery in Nevada of the Comstock Lode in |
| with foreign coins that had higher silver content. | | | | 1850. The finding of such a large deposit of silver |
| These coins were not generally considered to be | | | | hastened the production of silver coins within the |
| circulating coins within the United States, and | | | | United States. Eventually, even the massive |
| came to be known as Trade Dollars. During times | | | | deposits found in Nevada began to dwindle, |
| of a shortage of the raw silver that was need to | | | | causing another slow down in production until |
| produce the coins, the amount of copper nickel | | | | 1904. The silver melt of 1918 once again |
| used was increased to as much as 60% of the | | | | increased the availability of the raw materials |
| total content. | | | | needed, although even this was somewhat |
| Silver dollars have been minted at six facilities | | | | temporary in nature, as silver shortages seemed |
| including the mints in West Point, New York (W), | | | | to come and go as the years went on. |