How can you tell what kind of silver dollar you have?
Mia Phillips
Updated on April 08, 2026
Two of the primary ways to determine the value of a silver dollar is its melt value—value determined by the mass of silver contained in the coin itself—and for the rarity of the coin. The melt value of a coin can be determined in an approximate way, based off the value of the precious metal within the silver dollar.
Are there fake Morgan Dollars?
Buyers at online auction sites usually don’t know that fake Morgan silver dollars are counterfeit until after their buyer protection policy rights have lapsed, which means that they could end up with something that’s almost worthless after spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars.
How to tell the Mint of a Morgan silver dollar?
Many American coins struck there do not have a mint mark. Look for a letter that represents which mint struck the coin. Each U.S. Mint, other than the Philadelphia mint, struck a corresponding letter on any Morgan silver dollars that were coined there.
What makes a new Morgan silver dollar fake?
Often the result of different fonts between the original coins and counterfeit coins. Poorly aligned mint marks. The NGC and others have spotted fake Morgans with mint marks, such as the “O” of the New Orleans Mint, that are crooked or struck on a slant. Poorly struck letters on the reverse.
What’s the fineness of a Morgan silver dollar?
Analysis of the metal content showed the coin had a .918 silver fineness, above the US Mint standards for a silver circulation coin of the age. With Morgan Silver Dollars as popular as ever, counterfeiters are trying to cash in with advanced forgeries. So, how can you spot a fake Morgan Silver Dollar?
What kind of grade do you give a Morgan Dollar?
Therefore, all United States Morgan silver dollars can be graded using the following standards. Morgan Dollars are large and heavy coins that are made out of silver. While silver is relatively soft and malleable, the large size of the Morgan dollar makes it difficult to strike up the design fully.