What does debased silver mean?

Debased silver refers to silver that has been alloyed with a lower quality metal, reducing its purity and value. Historically, this practice was often implemented by governments to create more coins from a limited amount of precious metal, resulting in currency that contained less silver content than its nominal value suggested. As a result, debased silver coins would typically have a lower market value compared to their face value, leading to potential inflation and loss of trust in the currency.