Where Can I Get Silver Dollars?

Throughout America’s bullion history, silver dollars have remained one of the most popular precious metal investment vehicles available. Anyone who has seen or held a silver dollar should understand why. The coins invoke a strong sense of American iconography, celebrating classic symbols from the United States and its people. And before 1964, all American silver dollars were minted with .90 silver bullion, giving them both numismatic and precious metal value. 

But silver dollars containing real silver can sometimes be difficult to find – especially for new investors. Even figuring out where to look can be a tough task for a collector who has never really searched for silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars? This is the question we’ll answer in today’s Bullion Academy guide. 

What Are Silver Dollars? 

Just like the name suggests, silver dollars are coins made of pure silver bullion that are given a face value of $1 USD. Some coins we refer to as “silver dollars” are actually half-dollars. More generally, we use the term to refer to coins minted in the late-1800s and early-1900s that were worth around one dollar. If you’re wondering, “where can I get silver dollars,” you should start by understanding what a silver dollar is. 

Not all silver dollars contain pure silver. If you look around, you’ll note that there are several modern silver and gold dollars that have been circulated from the United States Mint. But these coins generally contain no actual precious metal content. Instead, they are made using an alloy of less expensive metals and then plated to look like either gold or silver. 

Today, we’re focusing on silver dollars minted prior to 1964, which contain actual silver and are used to stack silver bullion.

Why Buy Silver Dollars? 

People buy silver dollars for several reasons. First, silver dollars contain pure silver. Because many silver dollars are in moderate or bad condition, they sell for only a small premium over spot. This makes them an easier, more cost effective way to invest in silver as a precious metal. Where can I get silver dollars? This is a popular question for two main reasons, and the high silver content of silver dollars is only one of them. 

Silver dollars are also numismatically valuable. Coins from low mintage years can be extremely rare, and some sell for astronomical sums of money. When collectors ask us, “where can I get silver dollars,” they’re often wondering about the possibility of finding an extraordinarily rare silver dollar piece. 

Local Sources

Where can I get silver dollars? Local sources should be your first stop. Local dealers, including coin shops and numismatic stores, might sell rare silver dollars. Buying locally comes with several advantages, which we’ll discuss below. 

Coin Shops and Numismatic Stores

Your local coin dealers are a great place to start looking for silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars locally? The coin shops and numismatic stores near you might be helpful and can point you in the right direction. Doing business with local sellers can help you avoid the complexities of online coin dealers and auction sites. 

Benefits of Visiting Local Shops

What are the benefits of buying silver dollars from local shops? If you’re wondering, “where can I get silver dollars for cheap,” the pawn shops and coin dealers close to your own home might be even more efficient at getting you good deals on silver dollars than major online distributors and retailers. 

Local shops allow you to work directly with your seller, and they also provide the advantage of letting you physically hold and vet your coins before purchase. The personal touch of buying locally is tough to match, especially when we compare local dealers to gigantic online businesses. 

Exploring Numismatic Stores

Numismatic stores often specialize in a wide variety of different collectable products. Some numismatic stores will sell rounds, bars, and coins. Silver dollars are highly valuable numismatic products, so we imagine it would be pretty easy to find them at your local numismatic store. The large range of products these shops offer make them ideal for people asking, “where can I get silver dollars?” 

Pawn Shops and Antique Stores

Pawn shops and antique dealers are more general than numismatic shops, especially when it comes to the variety of numismatic items they sell. Pawn shops will sometimes sell silver dollars, along with guitars, clothing, jewelry, and a number of other products. Antique stores are the same way; some antique shops may carry some of the oldest silver dollars available!

Checking Pawn Shops

Pawn shops are known for outrageous prices. Some shops will mark their silver dollars up significantly, which certainly eats into your eventual profits. When you check a pawn shop for silver dollars, make sure to read up on values first. You can avoid losing money on your purchase by doing research before even entering the store. 

Exploring Antique Stores

Antique stores are your best bet for extremely rare collectible coins. Where can I get silver dollars of exceptional rarity? Check your local antique shops. It’s uncommon to see valuable silver dollars at antique stores, but not impossible. Luckily, you likely have several antique stores close to your home. Consider taking a trip to multiple shops to see which rare silver dollars they have in stock. 

Online Options

A growing number of silver dollar collectors are looking online for their bullion purchases. Where can I get silver dollars online? There are hundreds of precious metal dealers online. Below, we’ll discuss our own site, an up-and-coming bullion dealer offering competitive prices and multiple tools to help you build your bullion stack. 

Hero Bullion

Hero Bullion is our site. We sell a wide range of silver dollars from throughout America’s history. Many of our coins contain .90 fine silver and feature some of the most beautiful designs that the U.S. Mint has ever produced. We work hard to keep premium costs as low as possible to help you maximize your investment portfolio with high quality silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars? We hope you’ll consider Hero Bullion for your next rare silver dollar purchase. 

Coin Shows and Conventions

Coin shows can be another great way to buy silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars with low mintages? A coin show coming to your town can allow you to see some of America’s rarest silver dollars up close. 

Local Coin Shows

Local coin shows are an opportunity for coin collectors to interact with other investors, see beautiful old coins, and forge relationships with dealers. 

Benefits of Attending Shows

When a coin show comes to your town, you can take advantage of these gatherings of coin enthusiasts in a couple of ways. To start, a good coin show will feature extremely rare coins. Getting a glimpse of these coins can give you important information about how to find your own rare silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars that are worth a lot of money? Coin shows are a good first step. 

Engaging with Dealers and Collectors

A coin show is also a fantastic place to meet other coin collectors, as well as dealers. Popular local coin dealers are likely to attend any large coin show near you, which means you’ll be able to speak to them directly during the show. Other collectors can also help you answer questions like, “where can I get silver dollars.” 

Coin Conventions

Coin conventions are another opportunity for you to network, learn more about popular coins, and establish close relationships with both dealers and buyers. 

Exploring Larger Conventions 

Large conventions can be tough to navigate. Luckily, there are tools online to help you figure out where to go during a massive coin convention to find silver dollars. Look for guides on the internet, which should be provided by the location hosting the convention. Where can I get silver dollars at a coin convention? Figuring out how to navigate these large spaces can streamline your process as you search for rare silver dollars to buy. 

Networking and Purchasing Opportunities

Coin conventions typically invite local and national dealers to show off their silver and gold bullion coins. Where can I get silver dollars? Start by forging new relationships with some of the dealers that frequent large coin conventions. Over time, these relationships can help you as you look for new rare silver dollars to add to your collection. 

Auctions

Where can I get silver dollars worth thousands of dollars? While local shops and online dealers frequently sell rare silver dollars, the rarest and most expensive coins are usually sold only through official auction sites. 

In-Person and Online Auctions

Both in-person and online auctions might feature rare silver dollars. Online auctions are increasingly popular, as they allow people to place bids and sell their items from the comfort of their own homes. These online auction sites also increase the range and variety of available items, especially compared to in-person auctions. 

Benefits of Attending Auctions

Attending an auction might allow you to find silver dollars you otherwise would never see on traditional markets. Your rarest coins will usually go through auction houses, as auctions allow sellers of rare coins to market directly to buyers with pockets large enough to make the purchase. Even local auctions might feature shockingly rare coins, so attending them when they happen is a good way to answer, “where can I get silver dollars?” 

Strategies for Participating

The number one strategy for participating in an auction is to research the coins being sold beforehand. Where can I get silver dollars for cheap? Auction sites and in-person auctions will include some exceptionally expensive coins. The last thing you want to do is overpay and spend money that you don’t have on silver dollars. We recommend researching coin values extensively to determine when to stop bidding on a rare silver dollar. 

Alternative Sources

Online dealers, local shops, and auctions aren’t the only places to find silver dollars. Where can I get silver dollars without buying online? Estate and garage sales are always an option for finding coins of surprising rarity. 

Estate and Garage Sales

During an estate or garage sale, you’re going to see quite a few items with little or no value. Some items for sale during an estate liquidation, however, might be exceptionally valuable. Rare silver coins are one good example. Where can I get silver dollars for reasonable prices? An estate or garage sale might include shocking deals on rare silver dollar coins. 

Benefits of Attending Sales

In addition to potentially meeting other coin collectors and numismatic dealers, attending an estate/garage sale can provide you with the opportunity to purchase very rare coins at lower prices than you’d find on a traditional auction site. 

Finding Silver Dollars Unexpectedly

You can also stumble upon silver dollars unexpectedly. Where can I get silver dollars outside of auctions? Believe it or not, some people have stumbled upon silver dollars without even searching for them. Silver dollars are still used as currency, and they can be given as change when you make a cash purchase. 

Other silver dollars are found through metal detecting. This is very rare, so it isn’t something that coin collectors should anticipate happening for them. Where can I get silver dollars while using a metal detector? Old battlefields are one place that metal detector enthusiasts look to find silver dollars. 

Local Classified Ads

Your local classified ads might be one place to find silver dollars. Coin collectors who want to sell their rare coins might take out advertisements in local newspapers to promote their products. Especially in smaller towns, collectors might offer to sell their coins for substantially less than their actual value. Where can I get silver dollars with minimal premiums? Searching through the local classified ads is a great place to start. 

Final Thoughts: Where Can I Get Silver Dollars? 

Finding silver dollars can be difficult, especially if you’re interested in buying some of the rarest coins available. Hero Bullion sells a number of rare silver dollars, and we’re happy to walk you through the purchasing process, and our competitive prices and shipping procedures make buying bullion easy. 

Today, we’ve explained some of the best places to find silver dollars. If you still have questions about purchasing silver dollar coins for cheap, please reach out to our customer service team today.