Obverse: identify the front

The Statue of Liberty stands beside the Ellis Island immigration building, with the actual date 1986 below. ELLIS ISLAND and GATEWAY TO AMERICA identify the design. The genuine photograph is an S-marked proof, representing this silver-dollar type without asserting a grade for another coin.

Reverse: identify the back

Liberty’s torch and rays occupy the reverse above the familiar immigration inscription. ONE DOLLAR appears along the lower rim. Record the denomination explicitly; a torch or the name Liberty can appear on unrelated coins and privately issued rounds.

History and purpose

The Mint identifies this dollar with the Statue of Liberty centennial. Its archive states that striking began in October 1985 and continued through 1986; the actual coin date remains 1986. The program supported restoration work at the Statue and Ellis Island, rather than creating a circulating bullion dollar.

How to identify this variant

Compare ONE DOLLAR, the 1986 date and both program designs before entering quantity. The reference’s exact silver-dollar record gives .900 silver, 26.73 g gross, 38.1 mm diameter and .7734 oz ASW. Do not apply this content to a 1986 Liberty half dollar merely because it belongs to the same commemorative program.

Understanding its metal content

Three matching coins total 2.3202 fine silver troy oz on this reference basis. Separately multiplying 26.73 g by 0.900 gives 24.05700 g of nominal silver, or approximately 0.773451 troy oz. The calculator uses the reported reference ASW; it does not silently replace that amount with extra decimal places derived from rounded inputs. Wear, mounts and foreign material require separate examination.

Dates, varieties and composition changes

This guide covers the dated 1986 silver dollar. The proof photograph shows S; the uncirculated dollar is a separate finish in the same program. Keep the mint mark and original set contents in the appraisal notes. Mixed sets should be broken into identified calculation lines rather than multiplied as if every component were this dollar.

Melt value versus collector value

Preserve original boxes and certificates, particularly for multi-coin presentation sets. Proof finish, condition and a documented collector attribution can matter apart from .7734 oz of silver. A surviving presentation holder should not be damaged merely to obtain a scale reading.

Authenticity and condition

Identify both designs, the complete denomination, actual date and mint details before using the quantity field. Preserve the surface and original holder; do not clean, scratch, bend or acid-test a collectible coin. A plausible weight or resemblance to the reference photographs cannot establish authenticity. Record the rim, scale reading and readable inscriptions for an individual review, and keep uncertain pieces outside the calculated lot.

Selling this coin

Sort this identified type separately from coins with a similar name but another denomination or alloy. Photograph both sides and preserve packaging, certificates and prior provenance. Count the matching pieces and use the existing quote form, which carries the selected coin context. Reference silver content and a collector premium are different parts of appraisal; the calculator does not create an offer for an unseen specimen.

Sources and calculation methodology

The rendered matching reference silver-dollar record supplies .7734 oz ASW, .900 fineness and 26.73 g gross. The reference’s reported fine-ounce amount remains the calculator basis rather than the slightly different quotient of rounded gross mass and fineness. The reference governs uncertain metal specifications under the owner-selected source policy. Face identification and photograph reuse rights were reviewed separately. These figures describe reference coinage, not a first-party assay or condition grade. No approved live market feed is connected, so the calculator reports metal quantities without inventing dollar prices.

Common questions

References

• NGC: rendered 1986-S Statue silver-dollar specification — identity; weight 26.73 g; fineness .900; ASW .7734; diameter 38.1 mm; dates 1986; silver dollar (checked 2026-10-10)
• U.S. Mint: Statue of Liberty silver-dollar program — identity; dates 1986 and first striking 1985; design Statue/Ellis Island and torch; denomination ONE DOLLAR (checked 2026-10-10)

Issue-year references

• NGC: rendered 1986-S Statue silver-dollar specification
• U.S. Mint: Statue of Liberty silver-dollar program

Content maintained by CashForCoins. Last substantive record update: 2026-10-11. Report a specification or attribution issue through our contact page.