Silver was first used for coinage, then for decorative purposes, jewelry and tableware. In the Roman Empire, the metal was adopted as the basis for the monetary system, with gold and bronze used for secondary coins. At present, its major uses are in photography, electrical and electronic products, tableware, jewelry, medicine and dentistry. Aluminum and rhodium can substitute for silver in mirrors and other reflecting surfaces. Tantalum can also be used in place of silver in surgical plates, pins and sutures.
Stainless steel is an alternate material widely used in the manufacture of table flatware.
Most of the silver produced in the United States in 1995 came from primary output or as a by- product of lead, copper and zinc production in Nevada, Arizona, Idaho and Montana, in that order. The major international producers of silver were Mexico, Canada, Peru and Chile, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. In 1995, silver use totaled 688.5 million troy ounces, up 3.5 percent from the prior year, while total estimated supplies rose 10.1 percent from the prior year to 526.9 million ounces, according to New York's CPM Group. Mine production rose in most major producing countries. The largest increase was in Canada, where by-product silver output rose sharply after four years of declines.