How Many Morgan Silver Dollars Make a Pound?
The question of how many Morgan silver dollars make a pound isn't straightforward, as it depends on several factors. There's no single, definitive answer. Let's break down why.
What is a Pound?
First, we need to clarify what kind of "pound" we're talking about. Are we referring to:
- Avoirdupois pound: This is the standard pound used in the US and the UK for most weight measurements, equal to 16 ounces.
- Troy pound: This is an older unit of weight primarily used for precious metals like silver. It's heavier than the avoirdupois pound, equal to 12 troy ounces.
The type of pound significantly impacts the calculation.
Weight of a Morgan Silver Dollar
A Morgan silver dollar is not precisely one troy ounce of silver. While designed to be 90% silver and weigh 26.73 grams (approximately 0.94 troy ounces), slight variations exist due to manufacturing tolerances across the years they were minted (1878-1904, and 1921). Furthermore, the weight includes the 10% alloy (copper).
Calculating the Number of Morgan Silver Dollars
To accurately determine how many Morgan silver dollars make a pound, we need to consider both the type of pound and the slight variations in the individual coin weight.
Using the Avoirdupois Pound (16 ounces):
Let's assume an average weight of 0.94 troy ounces per Morgan silver dollar. Since there are approximately 28.35 grams per ounce avoirdupois and 31.1035 grams per troy ounce, a single coin weighs around 26.73 grams. One avoirdupois pound is 453.592 grams.
Therefore, a rough estimate would be: 453.592 grams / 26.73 grams/coin ≈ 17 coins.
Using the Troy Pound (12 ounces):
Using the same average weight of 0.94 troy ounces per coin and considering a troy pound is 373.24 grams:
373.24 grams / 26.73 grams/coin ≈ 14 coins
Important Note: These are estimates. The actual number of Morgan silver dollars needed to reach a specific pound weight might vary slightly depending on the precise weight of each coin included.
Why is there variation in weight?
The variation stems from the manufacturing processes used at the time. Some coins might have slightly more or less silver (and alloy) than others. This isn't an indication of forgery, but rather a natural consequence of the minting techniques of the era.
How to Get a Precise Answer
To obtain a precise answer, you would need to weigh each individual Morgan silver dollar and then calculate the total weight.
In summary, approximately 17 Morgan silver dollars would make an avoirdupois pound, and roughly 14 would make a troy pound. However, this is just an approximation. The actual number will vary slightly due to the inherent variability in the weight of individual coins.
