Number Of Silver Dollars Melted

1918:
In 1918, an interesting problem plagued Congress - the United States government still had hundreds of millions of Morgan dollars in storage - minted 15 to 30 years previously. The US treasury was paying for storage of these coins yet had a silver shortage. Congress passed the Pittman Act in 1918, which led to melting 270 million of the dollars for use in subsidiary coinage and for sale to Britain, then a wartime ally. Silver interests secured legislation requiring the mint to later replace the melted silver dollars. Figures on the date and mint mark of the melted coins were not kept, so collectors do not have precise population reports. Almost half of all Morgans produced during their first run from 1878 to 1904 were melted. Certain dates seem virtually nonexistant.

1942:
In World War II, the United States government again needed silver. Millions of silver dollars still sat in storage, apparently unwanted and gaining little interest from the numismatic community. The Silver Act of 1942 led to the melting of millions more silver dollars. Much of this silver was used for subsidiary coinage, then still made of the same 90% silver alloy. The fate of the Morgan dollars attracted little attention at the time; millions still sat in bank vaults and could be obtained simply by redeeming a silver certificate.

And millions since then:
By the early 1960's, rising silver prices caused many to hoard silver coinage and melt it since the coins' intrinsic silver value exceeded the face value. At that time, the dime, quarter, and half-dollar were still made of the same 90% silver, 10% copper alloy that had been used for almost 200 years. Old silver dollars were still available from government vaults at face-value.
The mint first blamed collectors for the shortage, and ordered a date-freeze on all new coins for 1964. Soon however, the mint adopted a different strategy. In mid-1965, it switched new coin mintage of the dime and quarter to a copper-nickel clad alloy containing no silver. Half-dollars were made using a copper-nickel-silver clad alloy of only 40% silver. These changes ensured the face-value of the coins exceeded their bullion value and thus eliminated the financial motive to hoard new coinage. Old coins, dated 1964 and earlier, rapidly disappeared from circulation, and many were melted. Many silver dollars met the same fate. It is estimated that between the multiple round of meltings, less than 20% of the original mintage survives. Many once-common date coins became quite rare.

In the last four decades, these coins have gained a following of their own. They have become one of the most visible and collected symbols of American coinage. For even the common dates, their numismatic value far exceeds the cost of the metal from which they are made.

Pretty sure the OP is referring to Canadian Silver Dollar melting. The answer is still bucket loads were melted.
In the first melt of 1978- 1980 everything except for 1945, 47, 48 went to the scrap heap.
I would venture a guess that well over 40 per cent of the original production is gone forever. Not to worry there are plenty still around. All it takes is a large cheque and an hour of your time at a major coin dealer and you would have a complete date set of Canadian Silver Dollars. Even in higher grade not a real problem except for one or two.

Just a couple years ago, and to a smaller extent dealers had 5 gallon pails of common date silver dollars going to melt pot.

Collects82, you should research about the Canadian gold coins that were release by the mint a couple of years ago.

A very fascinating topic, particularly questionable in regard to how the sale of the hoard was handled.

Historically gold reserves serve to back the strength of the national currency that is issued by the Central Bank (In Canada, the Bank of Canada), similar to a form of insurance. Canada's 1912 - 1914 gold coins were a portion of our gold reserves, although the public was not aware.

Perhaps of interest, In 2016 Canada now sits 99/100 on the list in percentage of gold reserves supporting our lowly loonie. Mexico, #30. United States #1.

Edit to add link to gold.org document:
http://www.gold.org/research/latest...old-reserves

Not really-
It was a matter of supply and demand. When the USA stopped producing Silver Dollars in 1964, they looked North to buy
Silver Dollars as a investment and bought them by the millions. I'll bet that more ended up in the States then Canada.
Just look on ebay and see the quantity of uncirculated Silver Dollars for sale by American sellers.

I just got a hold of him, they already been sent out Monday, he says he is happy with the relationship with the refiner because he sends them all kinds of other precious metal items. You wouldn't miss any of these BOC coins mainly 1914, 15 ten dollars with lots of bag marks.

1967 silver dollar, the Canada Goose, its southerly migration routes and the end of silver.....coincidental? Maybe so but the symbolism is amusing.